airdrielife fall 2007 by airdrielife magazine

fall 2007 • volume 4 • number 1 • www .airdrielife.com | THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO LIFE IN THE CITY OF AIRDRIE Display until January 30, 2008

AirdrieLIFE

The 1st Annual Arts Issue Airdrie's got talent!

New expanded sections: Community | Homes | City and our biggest AirdrieWorks ever

AirdrieLIFE

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Welcome to Airdrie

As we near the end of 2007 we look back over a y ear brimming with activity, economic and residential growth and many community based initiatives. With our community now at 31,512 p eople and growing strong, there will be continued focus on keeping Airdrie a family-friendly, active and vibrant community.

Vo l u m e 4

Sherry Shaw-Froggatt

EDITOR

Sherry Shaw-Froggatt

ASSISTANT EDITOR ADVERTISING SALES

Our continued focus on enhancing Airdrie’s reputation as a ‘green’ community was well recognized in 2007. Municipal leaders with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) 10th Community Energy Planning Mission visited Airdrie and toured our s tate-ofthe-art Environmental Education Centre (the Recycling Depot) as w ell as the unique electronics recycling business, eCycle Solutions.The City of Airdrie was also selected by The Natural Step Canada as o ne of two municipalities in Alberta to p articipate in a s ustainable communities program. This innovative program will enable the C ity of Airdrie to de velop Airdrie’s Municipal Sustainability Plan, introducing new sustainability initiatives and researching innovative ways to reduce Airdrie’s ecological footprint.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Kim Williams

Council would also like to encourage residents to get i nvolved in the community. Many community organizations need your help.We are looking for residents interested in getting involved. If you are interested in helping your community and volunteering, please call (403) 948-8800 ext. 457.

PRINTING

I encourage you to b rowse through this edition of AirdrieLIFE. It will introduce you or reintroduce you to all the amenities Airdrie has to o ffer. From the Airdrie Festival of Lights to the ann ual Santa Claus Parade, we invite you to join us as we take part in AirdrieLIFE.

Mayor Linda Bruce

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Wendy Potter-Durhaime Jeff Cummings

CITY CONTACTS

Finally, in our quest to b ring a sense o f diverse culture to the city, six new cultural pieces were presented to us this summer. As a special gift, Gwacheon City sent three pairs of handcrafted wood totem poles, each displaying a unique message to the community, which are now highlighted in Gwacheon Park (within Nose Creek Park).

Stacey Carefoot

ADVERTISING PRODUCTIONS

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

As we look ahead to our Centennial Year, 2009, we are excited about the man y active, sustainable and cultural events taking place. The 2009 55 P lus Summer Games will bring more than 1,000 participants to our ci ty and gives residents a chance to experience this fantastic event.

Num b e r 1

PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

This summer was a bus y summer with many significant projects well underway. The expansion of East Lake Recreation and Wellness Centre began the summer with the relocation of the outdoor track and preparing the surrounding area for Phase II.The facility expansion is just one of the many ways we encourage active living in our thriving community.

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editor@airdrielife.com sales@airdrielife.com Kent Rupert Tara Richards 948-8800 Calgary Colorpress

AirdrieLIFE is published three times per year by Frog Inc in conjunction with the City of Airdrie Economic Development Department.

AirdrieLIFE is distributed spring, summer and fall to homes and businesses in Airdrie and surrounding communities and is available at over 100 locations in Calgary. AirdrieLIFE can be viewed online at www.airdrielife.com Additional copies are available at Airdrie City Hall 400 Main Street Airdrie, Alberta T4B 3B4 The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and all representations of warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or in part, without the written permission of the publisher.

This magazine is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, abiding by the national magazine standards for editorial and advertising. www.albertamagazines.com

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Table of

Contents

COMMUNITY

A i rd r i e L I F E • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • v o l u m e 4

Bert Church Live Theatre the curtain rises on a brand new season

The voice within - a diva without the attitude

All the right moves - shimmy with Suzy

He’s young, he’s Canadian - he’s ours

Rock and roll dreams - reality for local band

Hometown girl - world renown singer

Poor man’s art = a rich life

5,6,7,8 Airdrie dances up a storm

Get your glow on The Airdrie Festival of Lights

In the ‘hood. Community profiles provide real estate values and information for newcomers

Konnichiwa - welcome to École Airdrie’s cultural exchange

A bridge to the future Martin McKee’s legacy

Find it - new updated City Map

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

AirdrieLIFE Contributors A magazine is only as good as the people who make it happen!

Stacey Carefoot, a fourth generation writer; has called Airdrie home since 1999 (with the exception of a short yet eye-opening stint in Northern Alberta). Her articles and feature stories have appeared in numerous publications both locally and nationally. She believes everyone and everything has a story that needs to be told. Stacey enjoys life in Airdrie with her husband Dan and their two incredible kids MacAulay and Madison.

Alex Frazer-Harrison

is a freelance journalist and book editor based in Calgary. His work has appeared in the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, and numerous magazines in Alberta, BC, the US and the UK. He also edits books for a major Canadian publisher and writes for University of Calgary External Relations. Alex has had the opportunity to write about Airdrie on the local, provincial and national scale over the past year.

Table of Contents>> continued from page 8 HOMES Setting the stage – advice for prepping your home for sale Home ideas - a peek at products for your home

Joan Bell, owner of Airdrie Yoga Studio, has lived in the Airdrie area for the past 15 years and enjoys the vibrancy of this young city. An avid belly dancer and practicing yogi, Joan is constantly amazed by the creativity and energy of Airdrie’s many women entrepreneurs.

Alan Tennant

has been a REALTOR® in Airdrie since 1985. Before that he was Publisher of the Airdrie Echo and served as President of the Airdrie and District Chamber of Commerce. Alan served as 2006 President of the Canadian Real Estate Association, 1998 President of the Calgary Real Estate Board and was CREB’s REALTOR® of the Year in 1995. Alan was named Airdrie’s Volunteer of the Year in 2005 and says the best thing about life in Airdrie is the people!

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Through the looking glass creative glass for your home

Renovation decisions

Big houses on the prairie – new show homes in Prairie Springs and Prairie Springs Hill

Coming soon - new condo projects add excitement

CITY City Hall

Transit – on the move

Environmentally speaking – the 5Ws for recycling in Airdrie

Assessment Guide – taxpayer information

Support Services - helping hands

Get Active – join a club!

A closer look at Airdrie’s Artist Guild

Community groups – get involved

East Lake Recreation & Wellness Centre Schedule

Kristy Reimer

holds a bachelor’s degree in photography from the Alberta College of Art and Design. She specializes in alluring wedding and commercial imagery. Kristy has lived in Airdrie for three and a half years now and loves Airdrie because there are minimal traffic jams and everything is close to get to. www.kristyreimerphotography.com

WORKS Art is a business, business is an ar t – check out our special section

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Bert Church Live Theatre By Stacey Carefoot

If the walls could talk there is no doubt the Bert Church Live Theatre would have quite a story to tell. It might begin with sharing the hardships and struggles of the theatre’s humble beginnings which were short lived upon the arrival of theatre manager Rob Lemorande in 1988. Undoubtedly the theatre would speak of its growing popularity through the 90s and into the 21st century; the national and international acts that have graced the stage and the countless young dancers, singers, actors and performers who have nervously made their debuts at the theatre.The walls would probably tell you; if you could keep a secret of course, that every theatre has a ghos t, and Bert Church is no exception. You might hear tales of back stage drama and onstage mishaps and perhaps you would even learn about the theatre’s classics and how they have helped to shape this community. If the walls could speak, they might say something like this…. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

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L to r: Dennis Tinkler, Jennifer Cormier and Rob Lemorande step out from behind their desks and take over centre stage.

PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

The Bert Church Live Theatre is the result of a community enhancement program taking place in towns and cities across the province in the early 1980s. In 1984 the then to wn of Airdrie with matching dollars from the provincial government constructed the 400 seat performing arts facility. The theatre is now owned by both Rocky View School Division and operated by the City of Airdrie. In the beginning the theatre was sparsely used by the community which sparked a needs assessment with the result being the hiring of a full time theatre manager. Enter Rob Lemorande. Lemorande, who had a bac kground in theatre management through his previous work with organizations including the Ol ympic Arts Festival, set to work following the vision created by the needs assessment committee. This vision included bringing bigger productions to the theatre, selling more tickets and encouraging rentals of the theatre to community user gr oups. A tall o rder for one individual but Lemorande hit the ground running and managed to ace his job as theatre manager. The only individual employed by the theatre until 2006

he was literally a one man show. Until recently Lemorande sold tickets, cleaned the theatre after shows performances and handled all the theatre booking and publicity alone. The number and caliber of acts has increased with each passing year, rentals are through the roof and empty seats an anomaly. “As the c ommunity grew, so did the acti vity at the the atre,” says Lemorande, unwilling to take much credit for the theatre’s success, but more than willing to boast about a memorable hole in one. In July Lemorande stepped down as the atre manager han ding the reigns over to Dennis Tinkler who will be supported by theatre publicist Jennifer Cormier. Not completely existing the s tage, Lemorande will continue to assist at the theatre plus remain active in the community in a variety of events and projects. Maybe it’s too soon or perhaps it’s because Rob Lemorande isn’t the v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY>>continued from 13

sentimental type, whatever the r eason, he doesn’t break down into tears when asked what he might miss the most about his role as theatre manager; however he does offer this,“I will certainly miss the enjo yment and satisfaction that comes with being directly involved with the operation and management of the theatre. The events that we have presented and hosted over the years and the many, many people that I have met, I shall always fondly remember. It was a lot of fun . . . I'm a lucky guy to have been given the support and confidence to run the theatre all these year - 'tis ap preciated.” Exit Rob Lemorande; enter Dennis Tinkler and Jennifer Cormier. With a solid understanding of the theatre’s past and high hopes for the future Dennis Tinkler is embracing his new role as theatre manager. “My hope is to see the the atre’s profile and patronage rise exponentially over the next few years. When people think of Airdrie, I want them to say,‘Hey isn’t that where that great theatre is?’” Committed to having the the atre’s most popular acts return as often as possible, Tinkler alludes to the fact that there may not be much of a visible change in theatre operations for the time being. “This theatre has brought great joy to thousands of people over the years. Our audience has shown us that the shows don’t have to be big or small. They just need to emb race the c ommunity. Rob and the City of Airdrie have forged a great legacy here. This is a very special thing. That should never change.” He promises the return of classics including; The Nutcracker, The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Airdrie Little Theatre, Friends from Newfoundland, Red Box Productions, The Airdrie Community Choir and the annual My Child Benefit for the Children’s Wish Foundation. He also alludes to the ide a that new acts may be entering the stage as the community grows and interests change. Keeping a close eye on the pulse of the community is theatre publicist Jennifer Cormier. Creating connections with ticket outlets throughout town including; Music Centre Canada, Air-Alta Insurance and Page & Turners Book Store and in Crossfield at The Rockyview IDA. Cormier also oversees all of the theatre’s advertising and contributes to the daily operation of the theatre. Cormier’s joy is obvious as she describes her interesting profession,“I am very, very, happy to be doing what I’m doing,” she says.

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Showing even more excitement she announces the anticipation of an online ticket ordering system that should be up and running in the near future. There is no way to define the assortment of acts taking the stage at The Bert Church Live Theatre.“We try to provide something for everyone in the community,” says Tinkler when trying to explain how acts l ike children’s performer Fred Penner can appear one night followed by famed mentalist The Amazing Kreskin the n ext. This wide range of genre is e vident this September when Big Band, East Coast Rock and Roll and The Calgary Philharmonic take the stage consecutively. Located on the east side of Airdrie at 1010 East Lake Boulevard, The Bert Church Live Theatre is a modern, fully equipped performing arts facility.The 400 soft seats on a raked house face a 10 metre wide proscenium arch stage. A variety of visual and performing arts classes are held at the theatre throughout the year, including the very popular summer arts camps for children and students. The community has a first class outlet in which to perform, play, watch and enjoy. “As with all leisure and recreational pursuits, providing a facility and programs to allow individuals and groups to express their dreams, and to enjoy the dreams and talents of others, defines not only those individuals, but also the community. Airdrie is a very healthy community, both in recreation and in culture. Rocky View School Division and the City of Airdrie are to be commended for their insight and continued support of The Bert Church Live Theatre,” says Rob Lemorande when asked to comment on the theatre’s impact on the community. PHOTOS BY KRISTY REIMER

The walls of the theatre have seen fa r more than Lem orande, Tinkler and Cormier are willing to divulge . No doubt there have been times that the show was forced to go on despite… and performers who undoubtedly lost their marbles just before going on stage. Tears have likely been shed, last performances played out and drama of all types displayed. But we all know walls can’t talk; and if they did they couldn't possibly pay proper homage to the excitement, wonder and joy that The Bert Church Live Theatre brings to this community.

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AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

The Voice Within By Sherry Shaw-Froggatt

Theresa Wasden was a tongue tied singing sensation at eight years old in Kelowna, BC with parents who believed so strongly in her vocal talents she was marched into the local radio station and sang “That’s An Irish Lullaby” on the s pot for the m orning DJ. Her dad w ould then proudly proclaim to anyone around “I know she has talent she’s been on the radio!” With the support of her parents, Theresa spent her childhood cramming a l ifetime of performance opportunities under her b elt from Kiwanis Festivals, to regular performances in jazz clubs, regattas and festivals. At fourteen she won the right to perform at Vancouver’s largest exhibition and sang with the CBC O rchestra. Her experiences in Vancouver introduced her to Patsy Gallant, Paul Williams, Maureen Forrester and Sherry Lewis. Theresa was a b ona fide star in the Vancouver music industry traveling all over the province singing at corporate events, making regular television appearances with her impressive soprano. She remembers traveling and staying in the“best hotels and eating the best food and being chauffeured to the television studios” and never once thinking she shouldn’t be doing any of it.

Theresa Wasden sings from the hear t. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

At eighteen she was working regularly with the Vancouver Symphony, touring, working with esteemed jazz troupes and then as she says,“The bells were ringing” when she ran into a childhood friend Mark Wasden. It was love at first note… they married and began to plan a family. At 21, the music came to a s udden halt. The Wasdens’ first child, Jessica was born with spina bifida. Jessica became Theresa’s sole focus and her music career was set aside.“It changes you, your life and your expectations but I absolutely crammed so much professional stuff and experience in the first 21 years of my life. Thanks to so many musical inspirations from Roslyn Frantz (a former Metropolitan Opera vocal coach and pianist) and Hugh Parsons, my band leader, I developed my love of jazz so early in life that when I had Jessica I didn’t feel I was missing anything and she needed all my time and energy.” The Wasden family grew to include daughter Andrea and son Jamie. Together they worked hard to keep the family dynamic a positive and safe one for Jessica. They moved to Alberta in 1990 an d Wasden found ways to balan ce family and her love of music with a home studio and creating the Music

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in Common program at The Bert Church Live Theatre. Theresa and Mark were told children with spina bifida faced a grim future. “She was an incredible hero, she also had the Arnold Chiari malformation which caused brain bleeds, the resulting aneurisms taking away all she had learned resulting in Jessica relearning several times how to walk and how to speak.“After one of her major strokes we played her favorite Paul Brandt CD over and over and eventually she would connect the breath with the diaphragm and make a sound… we could slowly watch her teaching herself to talk an d even to sing again.”

Theresa’s return to the s tage has b een measured and rewarding. She performs regularly with Big Band Honeymoon and Southern Stardust, recording several CDs and touring more now that Andrea and Jamie are older. She directs and produces several productions each year at The Bert Church Live Theatre in addition to her popular musical theatre classes and summer camps. Theresa also started Red Box Productions in 2002 an o pera company combining live performances with the artist in residence concept Writing, singing and p erforming have brought a n ew outlet that Theresa is b eginning to exp lore – pu blic speaking. Her passion for people was felt so strongly by the organizer of a Life Balance symposium she was asked to work with the company, Awesome Journey. Her songwriting skills, passion for life and stage presence make her a na tural public speaker and Theresa will be speaking at a Women’s Conference at The Bert Church Live Theatre January 19 on “Build Mountains Worth Climbing.”

_________

“…I realized the gift

The heavy toll of health problems gradually wore Jessica’s body down but not her s pirit. “When Jessica knew she was dying she would have her friends over and ask them ‘What have I taught you?’ Can you imagine? When she asked me the same question I had to s it down go through this incredible inventory of things I had learned. From the relief of living in Canada where the health system supported Jessica’s care to the incredible family we had created…I fell apart when I realized the gift I had been given wasn’t about music it was about love.”

I had been given wasn’t about music it was about love.”

What a listener will discover through her music and now her public speaking is her strength in her faith.“Understanding that I’m a child of God, that I’m loved, was the very thing I needed to go on with my music, to step on the stage, to have a child, to just be a mother, to recognize that somewhere in my immaturity that I could raise a child and then instantly be thrown into adulthood when Jessica was born because we had to make those life decisions within hours or else we would lose her. Knowing she had a purpose, that I have a purpose, it’s about what we do and what we give; my faith brought me through that.”

_________

Jessica passed away in January 2001 at fifteen, but not before the plans had been started for a s pecial benefit concert for children. Theresa’s musical career had been in the background but she still wrote daily and performed for special events.A song she had written years earlier about her own children called “My Child” became the inspiration for the concert.“Jessica had been there for the planning stages and she knew she was the inspiration for the theme that “every child is my child.” With the help and encouragement of an incredible team of people, the concert went on in February.Theresa made it through hosting but only managed one verse of “My Child”.“I tried not to let the em otion be in the show and when I got home I cried f or three hours.” But the show was important enough and became a legacy for the people involved and it has continued to grow. On February 15 , 2008 the 8th ann ual “My Child”Concert takes the Bert Church stage again and Theresa will sing “My Child”, the whole song, with Jessica “in the wings”cheering her on.

“Look at the potential. Anybody can sing, just like Jessica, she connected the breath support, figured out how it was going to come out of her and figured out how to control it. When you figure out how to control it then it’s ok to make bad noises and do things wrong and eventually you’ll get it right and everybody can sing. You can sing a Christmas carol if you want, or Happy Birthday. Who can’t sing Happy Birthday? So what if it’s the w rong pitch. You can’t sing with a fr own on your face!” Theresa has found the voice within. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

All The Right Moves By Joan Bell

While Suzy Brisbin has b een a dan cer since childhood, it was as an adult that she discovered her passion for Middle Eastern Dance. What started as a hobby, quickly turned into a career for this talented belly dancer. As Suzy says,“I was working a full ti me day job and teaching and performing almost every evening. I couldn’t keep up the pace so I had to make a decision. I decided to f ollow my dream and dance full time.” Suzy teaches women who aspire to be professional belly dancers as well as those simply looking to exercise and discover the joys of this celebratory dance style. In addition to c lasses in her Airdrie studio, Suzy and her instructors teach in Calgary and Olds. As the mother of two young daughters, age two and five, it is incredible how much Suzy has ac complished under the a uspices of Shimmy Dance Productions. In 1999, Suzy formed the Asianne Dance Troupe comprising of some 20 dancers from Airdrie and surrounding area. This exciting group performs programs primarily choreographed by Suzy. The troupe has been a perennial favourite at the Airdrie Home & Garden Show and will be dancing at the Chinese Festival in Calgary and in Airdrie at the Winter Trade Fair this November sponsored by the Airdrie Women in Small Business Association. Suzy and the Asianne Dance Troupe performed The Arabian Market at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary this past spring. This spectacular theatrical performance consisted of a cast of 40 people, including dancers, musicians, and market people. As the producer, choreographer, and star of The Arabian Market, Suzy oversaw almost every aspect of the program. In Suzy’s own words, the Arabian Market was a “huge success”. Suzy is the first to admit that it is a lot of work taking a local show to the next level, but says it was definitely worth it. Working in 2007 for the first time with Theresa Wasden as director of the show took a lot of pressure off Suzy. “I could tell Theresa what was in my head and she just made it happen.” Going forward, Suzy says she “…couldn’t do a show of this caliber without a professional like Theresa.” The feedback on the Arabian Market showcase was incredible. Audience members were “enthralled with the p erformances and the

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Suzy shimmies her way to the top.

choreography (and of course, the costumes).” Suzy is planning another Arabian Market for 2008 and eventually hopes to take the show to the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary. With the release of her new CD rated #1 in the United States and sold worldwide, Suzy is do ing more traveling and teaching workshops across Canada and into the United States. With her expertise, Suzy is often asked why she doesn’t move her studio to Calgary. “I like working in Airdrie, the people are wonderful” says Suzy. In the fu ture, Suzy would like to move her dance studio out of her home and into a larger space in Airdrie. As a performer and instructor, she would like to focus on dance classes for adults and couples, including country, latin, and ballroom dance. When not teaching, performing, or looking after her daughters, Suzy likes to hop on her motorcycle and go for a ride. Suzy performs locally at Paros On Main most Friday evenings. She has also produced a series of learn to dance DVDs which, along with her music CD, are available for purchase at Airdrie Yoga Studio and Pharmasave in Airdrie. Suzy can be contacted through her website at www.shimmywithsuzy.com.

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Young and Talented By Stacey Carefoot

When Airdrie’s Quinton Velcic attended the Cal gary Stampede’s famous grandstand show three years ago he didn’t know what to expect but after the show was over he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Although he w as captivated by the en tire show, it was the Young Canadians of The Calgary Stampede that amazed and intrigued Velcic who was only eight at the time.“I knew that’s what I wanted to do, it kind of fit me and who I am,” he says.Three years later and still hanging on to the dream, Velcic attended an audition to become a junior member of The Young Canadians an d nailed i t, earning himself a spot amongst this famous troupe of youngsters.

miss the new friends he had become so close to, he also longed for the intensity of performing. This longing is not likely to last though; soon he will be auditioning for a s pot as an ap prentice of the Young Canadians which has the potential to lead to admission to The Young Canadians School of Performing Arts. Velcic, now eleven has an obvious passion for the arts, a wonderful example of Airdrie’s youth and what can transpire when you commit to a dream.

Entertaining Stampede audiences since 1968, The Young Canadians lend an energetic and enthusiastic component to the grandstand show which takes place in front of upwards of twenty thousand people nightly during the ten da ys of the greatest outdoor show on earth. The Young Canadians c onsist of youth performers aged 7-20 w ho have strong singing and dancing abilities. This world renowned group has produced talented youth that have gone on to perform on television, cruise ships and even London’s west end. Although the g randstand show is the pinnacle of many of the Young Canadian’s experience it’s a long, hard road to get there. “This is a huge commitment for both the performers and the parents,” says Quinton’s mom Karen. Starting preparations for Stampede in April, Young Canadians a ttend two weekly practices which are increased to th ree times a week through May with intense practices starting in June.“In the end we were rehearsing seven hours a da y for two weeks in a row,” says Velcic, but he’s not complaining.“I’ve learnt a lot from my experience with the YC, like to have fun and not give up,” he says. These long hours of practicing were paralleled with long hours of commuting to and from Calgary for Quinton’s parents often during rush hour traffic.“During show nights, it is customary for The Young Canadians to b e transported to an d from the gr ounds by taxi,” says Karen Velcic explaining the extreme measures the Young Canadians organization takes to care for their performers and alleviate stress on the parents. When this year’s Calgary Stampede came to a close Velcic was quick to

Quinton Velcic takes a chance and makes the cut. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

AirdrieLIFE rocks!

Traced Image ready to set the world on fire

left to right are Josh Fralick, Dave Schlegel, Henr y White, and Tiffany Schollaardt.

When the famed Canadian rock band Trooper released their Hot Shots album in 1979, Airdrie resident Henry White wasn’t even born yet. Sure, White’s heard of Trooper, who hasn’t? Although White likes Trooper, who doesn’t? They’re not really his type. Henry White’s more of a Creed, Skillet and Kutless fan. So what does Henry have to do w ith Trooper? Not long ago Henry’s band Traced Image was given the i ncredible opportunity of being the opening act when Trooper performed near Balzac at an outdoor concert in front of hundreds people.

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AirdrieLIFE • fall 2007 • volume 4

With his youthful energy, longish hair, limited piercings and sheepish smile,White could pass for any average 21 year old; until he opens his mouth and begins to share his goals, accomplishments, love of music and performing. It’s hard for anyone to doubt that White is likely to end up wherever his dreams might take him. Like many youngsters, White’s first experience with music was in the form of piano lessons, although he reveled in performing he “hated” playing the piano. “After four years of piano I became completely rebellious, then I got an acoustic guitar,” says White. Since picking up that first guitar and after five years of lessons White hasn’t looked back on his choice of instruments, he’s now the lead guitar and vocalist for Traced Image. A band he helped create in 2001 when he was only 16 years old. Traced Image is based on a blend of rock, acoustic and worship combined with an alternative flair and a dash of grunge. Their lyrics are meaningful, their stage show exciting and their love for all types of music more than obvious.“When I would perform piano recitals I would ask my instructor if I could sing too,” says White, who now belts out tunes with titles such as Loss of Touch, Commotion and Searching. White isn’t the o nly Airdrie connection to th is rock group.Tiffany Schollaardt is the band’s keyboard player and lends her w ell trained vocals to the gr oup as well.“Tiffany is one of the most inspiring musicians I have ever met, she was born to play the piano, and she has the most amazing voice,” says White of his band mate; the two have known each other since attending Airdrie’s Koinonia Christian School together. Schollaardt brings a s trong musical theatre background to the band and according to White,“steals the show wherever we go.” Schollaardt has b een writing music since she was 13 and has written the majority of the songs on Traced Image’s new album d ue to b e released early this fall. A testament to her p rofound

musical ability, it took her less than one year to complete up to g rade seven piano in the R oyal Conservatory program. Today Schollaardt holds a grade eight in piano as well as a grade eight opera certification. Two other band members combine with Schollaardt and White to complete Traced Image. Drummer Josh Fralick 25, stems from Nanaimo B.C. he hooked up with Traced Image while seeking a serious ban d that has a sense of direction. Bass player Dave Schlegel 22 is originally from a small town in England and has a reputation for being somewhat of an eccentric musician who recorded his own piano album and studied drums before joining Traced Image. The band holds rehearsals predominantly in Calgary at the G arden Four Square Church. Having performed in countless locations from Campbell River British Columbia to Yorkton Saskatchewan, Traced Image is a family friendly band that makes frequent appearances at community showcases, bible colleges and other events. They were recently nominated for the Canadian Ch ristian Peoples Choice Awards in the ca tegories of Hard Rock Album of the Year and Alternative Rock Album of the Year. Traced Image’s latest releases can be heard on college and community radio stations as well as the popular 88.9 Shine FM. Their recent performance with Trooper combined with other appearances has seen them shift across the board from the Christian rock category into a m ore mainstream slot, the same thing happened to groups such as U2 an d Creed. Unlike U2’s Bono, Henry White and his band mates still have other jobs, working at music stores, teaching lessons, and working in restaurants while they wait for their big break. Traced Image has solid foundation, a family friendly feel and strong direction, sure they’re loud, rock bands are supposed to be. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Why AirdrieLIFE loves Katie B AirdrieLIFE is proud to support and promote local talent and even though Katie B (Biever) has moved away she is still in our hearts for so many reasons:

Because she’s a ho me grown girl who was a busy 4-Her and still remembers when Airdrie had only one traffic light. Now she’s used to being in the spotlight.

Kaite B is proud of her Airdrie roots.

after graduating, she packed up her ca r and drove straight to Vancouver. Three months later she was working as a receptionist at the noted Warehouse recording studio.

Because she still calls Airdrie home and still connects with her friends from school (she’s a George MacDougall ’99 grad) and returned from Vancouver this summer for her b est friend’s wedding.“I even know people in the industry who are moving to Airdrie, I can’t believe it!”

Because she took to heart the best advice she ever got;‘Get known as Katie the person first not Katie the singer and people will figure it out.” By not categorizing herself, she was called from her reception chair into the studio often for a variety of background vocals including a track for Mandy Moore.

Because she had spunk as a girl growing up “I made a list of all the chores I could do for my parents around the farm and figured all I had to do was save up enough money then I could move to Los Angeles and be a star.”

Because when asked to a udition for a n ew industrial rock band by producer Dave Ogilvie, she stepped out of her comfort zone and nailed it. She showcased her writing talents and lead vocals for the band Jakalope on the debut CD “It Dreams”in 2004 and follow up CD “Born 4”, released in October 2006. She traveled across North America and Japan, but returned home at Christmas for an acoustic set a t One Eyed Jacks with good friend Steve Jevne.

Because she admits her first foray into public performances didn’t go that well “I got up to sing and started to cry and then I r an to my mom.” She was only eight. Because she listened to her parents and went to college and graduated from the Red Deer College music program in 2001. Ten days

Because she can’t stress enough the combination of “opportunity, hard labour and luck”

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that has gotten her this far. The MuchMusic web site calls her a “sensational and gifted vocalist…” Because she continues to tak e voice lessons and calls her p arents her biggest supporters. In 2006 she performed background vocals for “Songs from Instant Star 2” and can be heard on the theme song for “Degrassi: The Next Generation”. Because truth be told, despite her M uch Music edgy persona seen i n the J akalope videos…“I’m just a country girl at heart.” Because she absolutely loves what she does and shares her en thusiasm willingly, “I tell anyone who has dr eams to jus t for go i t. I know it sounds cliché but the o nly person who can get in the way of achieving your dreams is yourself.” Because Katie B is living her dreams. Watch for Katie’ s next adventure – Developing and expanding both her writing and musical abilities “Digging into my roots a little.”

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Greg McRitchie at the wheel.

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A ‘poor man’s art’ enriches one man’s life By Stacey Carefoot

When Greg McRitchie sat down at a po tter’s wheel for the first time in the late 1970s he quickly knew it was what he was going to be doing for the rest of his life. “I’m going to b e a po tter,” he announced the v ery first time experiencing the craft, and a po tter he has b een for close to thirty years.

PHOTOS BY KRISTY REIMER

In the beginning McRitchie did piece work for a local potter and was involved in a po ttery partnership of sorts that evolved into McRitchie’s life of self employment and the creation of what he calls his “garage-io” (a studio in his garage). “Working from home h as many advantages,” admits McRitchie who over the years has established a routine and strong work ethic. McRitchie’s love for what he does is evident as he tries to explain his passion for pottery.“I just love making pottery, there’s something hypnotic about throwing on the wheel,” he says. His fervor for pottery is also ob vious in the qual ity and beauty of his work which is sold in a pair of Calgary galleries and during a o nce a y ear sale from his home. His work has b een shipped across the world and has b een given to vis iting dignitaries and as c orporate gifts to c ountless recipients. “It is poor man’s art,” begins McRitchie explaining that pottery is still an affordable art form for most people to purchase.“It’s important to me that people get enjoyment out of my pieces, as much enjoyment as I get ou t of making them.” McRitchie’s pieces range in size from the smallest of cups to gargantuan bowls and pitchers. He has a couple of hallmark lines for which he has creat-

ed pieces from teapots to flower vases and everything in between. McRitchie, an avid fisherman has been enjoying Airdrie life with his wife Lori for over 27 years and was instrumental in the recent Empty Bowls campaign which netted the Airdrie Food Bank close to $4,500. He often takes his talent on the road, loading a pottery wheel into the back of his truck and taking it to various schools, McRitchie is zealous when he explains his love for working with children. “I just love sharing this with children,” he says. “They still believe that there isn’t anything they can’t do, I like the fr eshness that kids bring to art,” he continues. Up to this point Greg McRitchie has been a self taught potter, throwing the c lay, creating the pieces, baking them in his gigantic kiln that has the potential to fire over 700 mugs at one time and finishing them using a variety of glazes and techniques. He looks forward to gai ning some formal education and completing a degree based around his already vast knowledge of pottery. From a garage in a neighborhood just like yours McRitchie creates incredible pieces that will be pased on to fu ture generations until the en d of time, he teaches rookies his craft and mentors those wishing to further their experience. There’s no big s ign out front and no pomp or circumstance holding him away from the community he loves. Just a simple fishing boat parked in front of a “garage-io” where masterpieces are made.

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A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Jayman grows with Airdrie The new community of Reunion marks a welcome return to the never-old-fashioned focus on family living. Inspired by the classic “Mayberry” designs of the 1950s, Reunion will be a place where families can truly grow . And Jayman, one of Alber ta’s top homebuilders, is proud to be a par t of this history. “The community is going to be ver y unique,” says Jayman sales manager Stephanie Myers. “The developer, Hopewell Residential Communities, is creating a real family feel, complete with white picket fences, old-fashioned mailboxes out front and picnic areas in the park.”

for the growing families now calling Airdrie home. A total of six Innovations home plans are available ranging from 930 to more than 1,600 square feet, in bungalow, split, and two-storey designs. Jayman MasterBUILT represents the moveup line with double-front attached garages and floorplans ranging from 1,700 to 2,200 square feet.

Each home also comes with a landscaping package unique to Reunion.

Jayman MasterBUILT and Innovations by Jayman have opened exciting new showhomes in Reunion. “Innovations by Jayman caters to a wide range of clients, from first-time homebuyers to empty-nesters,” says Myers. “The Innovations homes have rear-lane access, with an option of adding a detached garage.” Innovations by Jayman is represented by three showhomes: the Delta, the Verve, and the new Esprit model. The Esprit has a four th-bedroom option, which is unique to this market segment, and ideal

homes all feature Jayman’s Quantum Wall System and are built to meet or exceed Built Green Alber ta’s Gold Standards for energy efficiency and responsible resource use. Each home includes a high-ef ficiency furnace, tri-pane windows with low-E glass, and a GE appliance package. A “Nordlund Kitchen” option is displayed, which includes GE Profile stainless steel appliances with gas cooktop, built-in microwave and all top-of-the-line cooking essentials, granite counter tops, enhanced glass-door kitchen cabinets, and even a 15-inch Toshiba LCD TV/DVD. “It’s perfect for the aspiring chef,” says Myers.

Two Jayman MasterBUILT showhome models are on display in Reunion, the Kennedy and the Branford, with a total of five house plans to choose from in the community . “Each of our floor plans provides a number of pre-planned options, allowing our buyers to personalize each home to suit their needs,” Myers says. Jayman MasterBUILT and Innovations

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Myers says Reunion, with its architectural controls, its proximity to all of Airdrie’ s amenities including adjacent W oodside Golf Course, and its ease of access to Calgary, makes it a per fect place to live. Jayman’s Reunion showhomes are located at 2015 Reunion Boulevard and 957 Reunion Gateway N.W . Head west on Veterans Boulevard past W oodside Drive and watch for the signs. For more information, visit www.jayman.com or reunionairdrie.com.

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

Airdrie Community Choir By Stacey Carefoot

When Eileen Sivertson joined the Airdrie Community Choir during the groups inaugural year in 1985 she had no idea that less than three years later this small group of singers would be a part of something as historic and thrilling as the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics. Of the 1,075 voices that made up the Olympic Choir some 35 belonged to the Airdrie Community Choir and they weren’t there by chance.“Being a part of the opening ceremonies at the Olympics was a huge commitment,” says Siverston, past president of the Choir.“You couldn’t miss more than three rehearsals or you were out,” she continues. In addition to belting out the Olympic hymn in Greek in front of a crowd of millions across the world, the Olympic Choir also recorded their work together in the Jack Singer concert hall. The Olympic performance has been a tough act to f ollow but since the late 80s The Airdrie Community Choir has grown and evolved while crooning many different tunes, in numerous venues throughout the year.

Their typical season starts with the Remembrance Day services in Airdrie and then swiftly moves into Christmas performances with their annual Christmas concert at Bert Church Theatre Live Theatre. This year’s concert will take place on Sunday December 9 at 2:30 p.m. and admission is free with a donation to the Airdrie Lioness hamper program with cash donations going to the Airdrie Food Bank. This concert will feature the Airdrie Community Choir; which has grown to over 45 members, as well as other guest choirs from the area. The community choir also makes it a priority to perform during the Airdrie Festival of Lights and in years past they have taken part in Heritage Park’s Twelve Days of Christmas celebration; caroling through the park spreading cheer to holiday listeners. Perhaps their most popular concert of the season is The Annual Spring Concert which will be held this year during the afternoons of May 3 and 4. The Spring Concert is a part of the Bert Church Live Theatre subscription series and will be held at the Lutheran Church of The Master. The framework of dedicated people who make up the Airdrie Community Choir includes mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, pilots, pregnant women and senior citizens just to name a few.“It’s a wonderful outlet,” says Eileen Sivertson as she jokes about the need for male voices in the choir.“When a lady calls to inquire about joining the choir, I always ask ‘are you married?’ and ‘can he sing?’”. All joking aside, the Airdrie Community Choir is a fantastic outlet to meet new people, share a hidden talent or perhaps discover a talent you didn’t even know existed!

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The answer? A resounding “Yes!” The question of course is “so you think you can dan ce?” Airdrie is home to four dance studios, all grooming major talent and passion for the joy of dance. From the traditional classes of jazz, tap, ballet , highland and musical theatre to the i nnovative poppin, lockin and breakin of the hip hop genre, anyone with a desire to move to music doesn’t have to look any farther than Airdrie to step out on the dance floor.

Going into their 16th se ason Airdrie Dance Academy is lead by Susan Laing or Miss Susan as she’s referred to by her students. Airdrie Dance Academy offers classes for boys and girls in jazz, tap, ballet, highland, lyrical, musical theatre, hip hop and creative (pre-school). Over the years this studio has grown from 60 students to over 500 and offers classes for children as young as four up to adults.“My students are very proud of themselves, their individual and group accomplishments, their instructors and each other,” says Laing. Laing herself an accomplished dancer and experienced instructor takes immense pleasure in all aspects of her job. “I think dance can do for you whatever you let it,” continues

AirdrieLIFE is…footloose!

Hundreds of Airdrie youth drawn to dance By Stacey Carefoot

with highly qualified teachers who are caring and professional is k ey.” Ambition opened their Luxstone location (expanding from Calgary), last year offering jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop and even African. PHOTOS BY GTFOTOFX.COM

Laing. She says that over and above learning dance, her students learn how to lo ve their bodies and get along with each other. Airdrie’s newest dance studio is Airdrie School of Ballet led by Karen Macagnino. Macagnino, who moved to Canada i n 2004 from the UK b egan dancing at the age o f three and has dan ced professionally and recreationally worldwide.“We picked Airdrie because we wanted a community based place to live,” says Macagnino who is slowly expanding her studio and increasing class numbers during what will be their second season. The Airdrie School of Ballet offers classical instruction in ballet from babies just starting out to exp erienced dancers looking to improve and compete. “Not only is dan ce good physically, it’s also great mentally as well. It nurtures confidence, dignity, respect and equality of opportunity,” say Macagnino. Tara Wildeman, Artistic Director of Ambition Performing Arts Inc. says “training

Ambition dancers took to the s treets of Disneyland this summer for workshops and a showcase performance. Wildeman feels strongly that “every student who walks through the do or will leave with an ex citement for life and dance, regardless of whether they try it for a while and move on or dance for life! Teaching children is a r esponsibility we take seriously and we are committed to an environment that promotes healthy, happy relationships and positive self esteem, we are role models for all aspects of life.”

dancers to beautiful artists who are role models for a new generation of students. Though dance and twirling our students learn confidence, gain work experience (through our Assistant Apprenticeship Program), appreciate art, are physically fit and the list goes on.“ And the beat goes on…” 5, 6, 7, 8”. Airdrie dancers are truly stars of today and tomorrow.

East Lake Recreation and Wellness Centre is home to the S TAR Baton and Dance Company offering professional instruction in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop/funk, lyrical, musical theatre, acrobatics and baton twirling. Programs are available for the beginner right up to the highly competitive dancer or twirler. This group is under the direction of Mandy Yip who is supported by an energetic and experienced group of instructors. “Star has become a big family,“says Yip.“ The studio provides a c ommunity for students and parents alike. I’ve watched the children in the studio grow from awkward young v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

AirdrieLIFE is all aglow…

The Airdrie Festival of Lights kicks off its twelfth season December 1 with fireworks, live entertainment and several new light displays. The Festival is the la rgest outdoor walk through light show in western Canada and best of all it has no admission charge. Free admission, free parking – something unheard of these days.“We have always kept to our vision of a family friendly affordable event,” says chair Rey Rawlins, “We rely on sponsors and visitor donations to keep the glow going.” Sponsorships have grown exponentially the las t two years – lo cal builder VESTA has committed $150,000 over five years as title sponsor and as sponsor of the Festival’s favorite attraction – the train rides. “We attract over 50,000 p eople from across southern Alberta and around the world,” says Rawlins,“Sponsors see the v alue of the event and the economic impact it has on the community.”

and the best volunteers in the world.” New Years is the closing night and Propak Industries, for the twelfth consecutive year sponsors the fireworks show which takes place at the family friendly time of 8 pm. “We love that we can start and end the Festival with fireworks,” Rawlins adds. Learn more about the Festival: www.airdriefestivaloflights.com Festival Hours Open every evening 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm December 1 to 31. Opening Night Santa & Fireworks 6:45 pm (approx) New Years Eve Fireworks Dec 31 8:00 pm (approx) Admission: Free, but cash and cheque donations are welcomed;

But perhaps the biggest impact on the community is the c ommunity itself. Over 6000 volunteer hours are logged each year to bring the glow to Nose Creek Park. Each season volunteer groups are trained from the city’s sports and special interest groups to work as teams and in turn they receive a percentage of the proceeds to fund their own activities during the y ear. Individuals, families and businesses also mak e up a large portion of volunteers who perform tasks ranging from parking lot control to yes, screwing in light bulbs. There are thousands of light bulbs involved in creating the b eautiful displays that glow nightly December 1 – 31 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and the Festival board has plans over the next few years to replace all existing bulbs with LED ones which as a result of lower power needs, will allow the board to add new displays to the park. The displays, buildings, and equipment take several days to set up and volunteers are encouraged to register early by calling 912-XMAS to assist in the set up November 24 and 25. When the l ights are officially switch on by Mr. Claus himself on December 1, a whole new season begins and the glow is felt City wide. “Every night will be special this season,” says Rawlins, “we have live entertainment, two fun train rides, hot chocolate, hot dogs, warm fires

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contributions of $20.00 or more will be issued a charitable donation receipt on request (tax deductible).

ADVERTISING FEATURE

THE CANALS & BAYSIDE BY GENESIS Imagine heading out to the store for some milk, but instead of taking the car, you hop into your canoe and paddle down a serene canal to the local market.

All homes follow architectural guidelines, says creative designer Josh Grewal, adding all buyers receive attractive landscaping packages.

In the acclaimed Airdrie communities of Bayside and The Canals, this isn’ t a dream – it’ s a reality . Genesis Land Development Corp. continues to provide unparalleled opportunities to own fine homes in this growing area.

Residents of Bayside and The Canals access excellent amenities, including an ice rink near the southeast end of the canal system, several tot lots, attractive water features like water falls, and quick access to recreation hotspots like Monklands Soccer Park and Chinook Winds Baseball Park.

Both neighbourhoods is they are linked by a six-kilometre canal system centred on a five-acre lake. Y ou won’t find this sort of style in Calgar y. “The response so far has been great,” says Genesis marketing co-ordinator/builder relations manager Aman Sidhu. “W e specialize in developing themed communities. In The Canals, it’s all country cottage living. In Bayside, we’ve adopted a maritime theme.” Genesis has launched its newest phases in The Canals and Bayside. Canals Phase 4 features luxur y attached, two-storey homes. Harmony in the Canals, by the Genesis building Group – Generations Developments, are three-bedroom homes per fect for family living, located mere blocks from schools and other amenities. The first Harmony in the Canals showhomes are scheduled to open in October just of f Bayside Boulevard and 8th Street S.W., Sidhu says. Canals Phase 7B, meanwhile, features luxury estate lots backing onto the canals, with some of the largest lots in the community . Phase 4 of Bayside has single-family home growing around the city’s newest school, Nose Creek Elementary, which opened this fall.

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Some of the top builders in Alberta are partnering with Genesis on the development, including Elite, Reid Built, and Swiatek Homes. Genesis is also introducing its own Majestic Homes, Evolutions Homes, and Reliant Homes divisions to Airdrie. “Genesis has completed its ver tical integration successfully ,” says Sidhu. “We’re no longer just a land developer . We are now also a home-builder, with our Genesis Builders Group and a commercial division, along with Reliant Homes – star ter homes – and Majestic Homes – our estate homes – and Evolution, which is aimed at the first move-up demographic.” Genesis Land Development Corp. is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol GDC). For more information about Bayside and The Canals, drop by the showhomes or visit www.genesisland.com.

AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Community Profiles Fall 2007

Two words could be used to de scribe the lo cal real estate market so fa r this year; stability and growth. The huge increases in sale p rices experienced in 2006 have leveled off and yet the number of sales has continued to climb. Year to date, the average sale price in Calgary is up about 20% from the first seven months of 2006. Airdrie has experienced similar gains in the average sale price compared to last year and in July the average sale p rices continued to ho ver around $350,000. So far in 2007 there has been a 51 per cent increase in the n umber of MLS® sales in Airdrie compared to this point in 2006. In July there were 294 MLS® listings on the market in Airdrie, which is an all-ti me high. The average time to se ll a ho me on the MLS® continues to inch up and now sits at 37 days of market exposure in Airdrie and 35 days on the market in Calgary.

Airdrie Meadows Airdrie Meadows is a w alker’s haven. Centrally located on Airdrie’s west side it’s a short walk to downtown, the malls, schools, Kinsmen Splash Park, Plainsman Arena, the Library and more. Average condo price $229,000 Average house price $307,113

Amberwoods Amberwoods in Luxstone is a n ew concept community for Airdrie with very attractive architectural features on a collection of single family and semi-attached two storey homes. Amberwoods has easy access to an abun dance of indoor and outdoor activities that the whole family can enjoy. Amberwoods is the perfect place to raise a family while enjoying life to the fullest. Let the wide open sky and warm community spirit surround you. www.tricohomes.com and www.creationsbyshane.com

Bayside/Bayside West Bayside is one of Airdrie’s most innovative areas, thanks to an exciting blend of upscale single family homes and condos and future commercial development. Plus it’s close to the new Rocky View School Division offices and Nose Creek Elementary School. Bayside West is all ab out water access. Nearly 80 p er cent of all homes having private water access and nearly 50 per cent of all homes have the capability of installing private boat docks. Six kilometers of waterways will be linked by walking and bike paths. www.baysideairdrie.com Average condo price $264,660 Average house price $484,939 v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Cooper’s Crossing/ Estates of Cooper’s Crossing Take a walk through Cooper’s Crossing and you’ll quickly realize why this is one of Airdrie’s most desired neighbourhoods. A well designed and beautifully landscaped six kilometer pathway system connects every corner of this hillside development. Airdrie's most prestigious address is the Estates of Cooper’s Crossing. Estate homes on lots up to 74 f t. wide, some backing onto beautiful green space.The show home parade features walk out lots backing into a beautiful six acre water feature. There is a selection of lots that allow for triple garages. www.cooperscrossing.ca

Big Springs Big Springs is Airdrie’s most affordable neighbourhood, with a combination of starter homes in your choice of condo or townhouse style condos, single and double wide manufactured homes and single family homes. Average condo price $245,150 Average house price $272,290

The Canals/Canals North The Canals is a water lovers dream. Peaceful blue canals wind their way six kilometers and flow into a five acre lake. From starter homes and condos to some of Airdrie’s most spectacular executive homes, this is an area with lots to offer. The buzz about the Canals North is“suite”as many of the lots allow for condo suites above a detached garage. The area features a country cottage living architectural theme with wrap around verandas and attractive column detailing. www.canalsnorthairdrie.com Average condo price $285,679 Average house price $415,596

Average condo price $364,161 Average house price $506,676

Downtown (Old Towne) Old Towne is the most commonly used name for the original Airdrie town proper. In addition to being centrally located residents enjoy living close to the “Tri-Schools”, the Plainsman Arena and Splashpark and having the largest lots in town. New to downtown is Cedarwood Station a f our storey, full service rental retirement residence, the first of its kind in Airdrie. www.cedarwoodstation.ca Average condo price $190,694 Average house price $300,579

Edgewater Living in Edgewater combines the advantages of being within walking distance to schools and shopping and being wrapped around some of Airdrie’s best green space. Many homes are situated overlooking Nose Creek Park, a year round gem bu t especially beautiful in December during the Airdrie Festival of Lights. Average house price $323,226

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AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Fairways Fairways features quiet, low traffic streets that meander around the west end of Woodside Golf course and create easy access to a w ide range of homes from affordable condos right up to some very exclusive homes on the golf course. Average condo price $310,464 Average house price $422,880

Jensen Heights The Jensen family lent their name to one of Airdrie’s first sub-divisions and it still maintains a strong family feel. Thanks to being next door to the Tri-Schools (all three levels of public schools) this has long been a sought after area to live. Living options range from rental apartments to executive homes. Average condo price $264,108 Average house price $328,120

King’s Heights Welcoming residents to the c ommunity is a dr amatic entry feature that includes a custom stone façade with tree-lined boulevard.This distinctive entrance adds unique c haracter to the c ommunity and sets the to ne for the understated tranquility that King’s Heights will become synonymous with. Single family homes and condos are now available and the red carpet has been rolled out at the ten home show home parade. Proximity to destination shopping and commercial facilities at the em erging Kingsview Business Centre makes King’s Heights a de sirable location. www.kingsheights.ca Average condo price $271,442 Average house price $413,712

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AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Luxstone Luxstone is home to several distinct areas and home ownership choices. Luxstone Landing, Westpointe and Park Place Estates with Airdrie’s first “wide lot” style community both offer excellent single family homes The town home lifestyle shows lots of potential from the sold out urban loft concept of Parkside to the new Park Place Court town homes– watch for further phases this fall. All of these homes are nestled around a carefully landscaped nature park with water pond, soccer field and children's playground. www.luxstonepark.com Celebrate the na tural surroundings and amenities that abound in Luxstone Landing. Parklands, trails, and easy access to the n earby canal and open spaces connect home sites. School sites are safely and conveniently accessible and shopping is close at hand. www.luxstonelanding.com. Average condo price $242,912 Average house price $390,594

Mackenzie Pointe Mackenzie Point is a high-density community of condos with easy access to downtown and commuting to work make easy thanks to the access to 8 Avenue. Iron Horse Park is right next door. Railtown is an exciting new residential & commercial development just west of Main Street noteworthy for being a living-working-shopping destination and the first buildings in the city to be six stories in height. www.airdrierailtown.ca *Prices in Mackenzie Pointe are part of the Luxstone statistics.

MeadowBrook Meadowbrook residents enjoy a quiet setting in the south east corner of Airdrie. The pathways lead to a la rge central park with a play structure and connect to Meadowbrook Middle School. It’s all single family homes and they range from 1980s construction to a few years old. Many families have started in the original Meadowbrook and moved up to the n ewer area – they must feel at home! Average house price $371,263

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AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Prairie Springs Hill Prairie Springs Hill is a master planned community, part of the larger neighbourhood of Prairie Springs.This new area is comprised of single family detached homes with front garages on generously sized lots. Three show homes are open and a variety of lots offer choices of walk outs, park backing and laned lots. www.prairiespringshill.com

Reunion NEW! Reunion, located in northwest Airdrie not far from Hopewell’s immensely popular Sagewood, spans 150 acres and will eventually be home to 758 single family residences.

Morningside With natural beauty, higher elevated lands and east facing slopes, Morningside is a jewel nestled in the desirable SW quadrant of Airdrie in the established community of Cooperstown. When finished, Morningside will have 450 single family homes and two multi family sites on 112 acres. With ten single family show homes in three parades, Morningside is sure to have a ho me suitable for all buyers. Park space and pathways are plentiful in this stunning community while state-of-the art playground equipment over looks an expansive water pond. www.morningsideairdrie.com. Average house price $395,172

Prairie Springs NEW! Prairie Springs is touted as a community planned around family values. The architectural guidelines of this new community located in the southwest of Airdrie are designed to showcase the serene beauty of the neighbourhood. Pathways, play areas and future ball diamonds are part of the site plan and the four show homes are open for business. Prairie Springs will ultimately contain upwards of 1700 housing units. Housing types will range from apartments, townhouses, duplexes through various single family products as well as estate homes. www.schickedanzwest.com/PrairieSprings

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In keeping with the Reunion theme, a 5.83-acre central park greets you upon arrival to the community. Named after the family who originally homesteaded on the land, Bowen Park includes an open air pavilion, along with picnic tables and barbecues and Hopewell’s signature community bronze statue. In addition, Reunion is ho me to a de signated church site, a public school site, two tot lots, a 4.45-acre storm pond and interconnected pathways throughout the community. Two types of homes are available in Reunion – homes with lanes and homes with front attached garages. Reunion’s architecture will reflect the community’s theme with the ti me-honoured traditional styles of Craftsman, Classic, Prairie and Arts & Crafts. Interested buyers will be treated to a 16 s how home parade. www.ReunionAirdrie.com.

Ridgegate Many people have moved into Ridgegate and settled in. It’s a compact area with low traffic streets winding around the n orth end of Nose Creek Park. An easy walk to schools, the library and shopping – who would want to leave. Average house price $347,113

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AIRDRIE HOMES community profiles

Sagewood If you are looking for something fun and interesting, then Sagewood is for you. One of Airdrie’s most talked about areas and for good reason. This is a very well designed place for families and by the end of construction will be home to 800 families. www.sagewood.ca Average condo price $261,064 Average house price $381,812

Silver Creek Residents of Silver Creek enjoy condo living and a variety of single family home options such as coach houses (legal suites as part of the rear garages), starter homes and upscale homes backing onto the g reen space in the north end of the city. Average condo price $294,888 Average house price $358,902

Thorburn You’ll find a single family home in almost every price range in Thorburn however no duplexes or condos. There’s lots of green space and easy access to schools, the Twin Arenas and the East Lake Recreation and Wellness Center. Average house price $422,361

Waterstone Stonegate Stonegate is also at the north end of Airdrie and has become very popular with young families thanks to the quiet, curving streets and play structures. Plus it’s home to so me condos and attached homes that blend in very nicely. Average condo price $293,825 Average house price $362,382

One of Airdrie’s not so well kept secrets is Waterstone. Tucked away just south of Summerhill this very popular neighbourhood is home to some of Airdrie’s finest homes backing onto Nose Creek. It’s very well designed and features lots of green space throughout. Drive through and watch for kids playing! Average house price $391,500

Willowbrook Summerhill Overlooking the fountains in Nose Creek is something the residents of Summerhill really enjoy, especially in the winter when skating on the creek is very popular. This area is home to A.E. Bowers Elementary School and is next door to the Airdrie Nose Creek Valley Museum.

Willowbrook as its name indicates enjoys being next to Nose Creek. From higher end homes backing onto the green space to condos and attached homes, Willowbrook is a great place to call home. Average condo price $283.422 Average house price $371,556

Average house price $307,629

Woodside Sunridge Families who call Sunridge home may be small in number but certainly large in their affection for this centrally located compact area. It’s close to Fletcher Park, the Tri-Schools and connects to the b ike path network. Average house price $347,750

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Golf course living in Woodside is something special and it’s just as special for those r esidents of Woodside who don’t back onto the go lf course! With many parks and easy winding streets it’s easy to see the attraction. Woodside is also home to many great options in senior and adult housing. Average condo price $247,780 Average house price $396,750

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AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

A closer look École Airdrie Middle School By Stacey Carefoot Down every hall and inside ever y classroom of École Airdrie Middle School students are given outlets and opportunity to experience culture. One quarter of the school’s 500 plus students are enrolled in the French immersion program, 20 to 45 students and their families welcome Japanese youth into their homes for five days ever y March while ever yone at École Airdrie is given the opportunity to learn about Japanese culture, traditions and geography , the entire time maintaining a focus on the impor tance of the three Rs. “It’s a wonderful world where ever ything is still possible for kids,” says principal Cathy Ziegler, who has a sparkle in her eye as she discusses her enjoyment working with children grades 5-8. “We have an amazing staff and this is a very energetic building,” she continues; energy that is especially visible in the school’s two gymnasiums. A strong athletic foundation is evident in the school’ s lifestyle lab; a gymnasium complete with exercise bikes, a climbing wall and plethora of other gym equipment. Students enrolled in the school’s French immersion program study the core subjects in French while still having access to English speaking optional programs including home economics, industrial ar ts, music, and more. While the word bienvenue welcomes people to the building in French, a banner stating yokoso welcomes visitors in Japanese. For the past 12 years the school has been involved in an international visit program with a Japanese junior high school in the town of Gifunishi located in the central Japan prefecture of Gifu. This program isn’t a traditional exchange as the local students do not travel to Japan but are still given the oppor tunity to gain an in-depth knowledge about Japan while remaining on Canadian soil. For just under a week students are immersed in our culture both at school and in local homes. The Japanese visitors are twinned with families; their interaction begins long before the students arrive thanks to inter net technology. Once they finally reach Airdrie some of the Japanese students are toured through the province with their host families, visit traditional farms, attend rodeos and hockey games. “The encounters that these students have had over the years are endless,” says principal Zeigler. During their stay in Airdrie the visiting students are also treated a cultural exchange assembly at the school where they share their traditional dances, exchange gifts and have their photos taken with an RCMP member in full serge. The entire school par ticipates in the exchange program both directly and indirectly giving ever yone the oppor tunity of opening their school, homes and hearts to these delightful visitors.

For a complete list of schools in Airdrie visit www.airdrielife.com 48

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Building a legacy City honours Airdrie builder By Alex Frazer-Harrison

Airdrie was a sleepy bedroom community in 1981 when Martin McKee relocated his family from northern Ireland, eventually starting a ho mebuilding company here. McKee Homes Ltd., founded in 1987, played a major role in helping the city grow into what it is today. Now, a year after his death, the City of Airdrie has nam ed a b ridge in Martin McKee’s memory. “Dad took the risk [in 1987] and said,‘I believe in this community,’ and it had b een a w onderful home for our family since we came to Canada, so he decided to open a business,” says company president Elaine McKee-Doel, who estimates the family business has been responsible for building some 1,500 homes in Airdrie. The Martin McKee Bridge crosses Nose Creek on 1st Avenue N.W., less than a b lock from the McKee head offices.

Elaine McKee-Doel and Grace McKee-Howell on the bridge dedicated to their father Mar tin (below left).

“I can sit in my office and look out at the bridge and we’re truly honoured they’ve named it after him,” says daughter Grace McKee-Howell, senior home planner.

Community involvement was one of Martin McKee’s lifelong priorities, and his family and company continues the tradition by supporting local sports teams and charities.

“He loved that bridge, and he had a lot to do with developing the ‘new downtown’ on 1st Avenue.We built this office building, and another on the other side of the bridge … we’ve also built condos, apartments … we’re proud to say we’re a local builder. We live and we work in Airdrie.”

“Dad used to sa y, ‘It’s a po or show if you can’t help somebody,’” says Grace.“Elaine and I believe that, too – what’s the point? You can build and make money, but if you aren’t giving something back, you don’t truly know your purpose.”

McKee Homes has remained a famil y business, run by Elaine and Grace, with their husbands and their mother, Ruth, still very much involved. The McKee clan also o wns Emerald New Homes Ltd., which builds homes in Invermere-Radium, Manor Real Estate, and McKee Developments Ltd.

McKee Homes continues to be a major builder in Airdrie. Plans are underway for a c ommercial-residential development alongside Nose Creek – not far from the Martin McKee Bridge.

“We’ve always been a very close family,” says Elaine.“My husband was Dad’s first employee … you feel a tremendous amount of responsibility and at the same time, you feel honoured to be a part of people’s lives.”

“He was an amazing father and I feel so lucky, not only to have had him as my dad, but also as my mentor and we were lucky to work with him every day,” says Elaine. “We still find ourselves asking him for advice!” v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

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AIRDRIE HOMES

Set the Stage to Sell Your Home By Stacey Carefoot

Let the Light Shine In and Neutralize Opening all of the window treatments in every room before a home showing creates the feeling of an open and spacious home. Natural sunlight is a great way to bring appeal to most homes.Although today’s colors tend to b e darker and more daring, potential home buyers won’t care that your paint colour matches your bedspread. Neutral colours are the best choice when painting your home before selling. Hawkins recommends hiring a colour consultant to help pick the perfect palette. “They are trained to see all of the undertones in the neutrals and make the right choices for remarket,” she says. “It’s very appealing to the buyer if they think they won’t have too much painting or changing to do once they get possession.”

JAYMAN HOMES

No matter how hot or cold the real estate market may be, all sellers have this in common; they want to sell for top dollar in a short period of time. When selling a home there are things that must be done before a realtor (or at least a good one) will list it. Sure, you could spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars upgrading your home before listing it for sale however Airdrie interior designer Nadine Hawkins has some easy, inexpensive suggestions to help you get the return you’re looking for when selling your home. Clean, Clean, Clean Hawkins cannot emphasize enough the importance of making sure the home you are attempting to sell is clean. From the windows, kitchen and baths to e very closet and corner in the home, every inch should sparkle.“Buyers don’t want to inherit the earth by inheriting your dirt,” jokes Hawkins. Clutter Control Potential buyers don’t care to see y our papers attached to the fridge , photographs of every shirt tail relative and your kid’s finger paintings may be important to you but if you’re selling your house, store items like this out of sight.“The general rule is to r emove 50 per cent of all personal items from every room in your home,” says Hawkins.“If it doesn’t have a home within the home, store it,” she adds. Plan Your Space Create the impression that every room is open and airy. Remove that extra rocking chair that no one sits in. Allow for traffic flow between and in every room of your home. Jungles aren’t appealing to most potential home buyers so if you’re inclined to have a bull’s share of house plants, ask a friend or neighbour to care for them while you attempt to sell your home.

Rent Buy or Borrow In order to make your home feel and look lived in, it must have certain things, for example a b ed in the b edroom and furniture in the li ving room.“This is exactly why show homes put a lot of time and money into decorating every room. Hawkins recommends obtaining furniture, area rugs and accessories that show you have pride in your home. If you can not afford the expense, ask around, you’ll be pleasantly surprise to find what your friends and family might have hidden away. “Staging is really about making a big first impression for the potential home buyer,” says Hawkins when referring to the fact tha t potential purchasers form opinions about homes before they even reach the front door.“If they don’t like what they see during the first minute, they will not be interested in the rest of the home,” continues Hawkins. Setting the stage to sell your home doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking. A little elbow grease, sunshine and the righ t furniture can go a long way! -Nadine Hawkins is the owner of Hawkins Interiors and is on location at Airdrie Flooring Connection

Editor’s Note AIRDRIE HOMES

Welcome home to our new regular section Airdrie HOMES. Each issue we will bring you advice from local experts, great local products for your home inside and out and of course sneak peeks into Airdrie’s newest show homes. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE HOMES

Great things to add Asian inspired tableware in aqua and chocolate available at The Store Upstairs.

It’s a sofa…it’ s a bed… it’s a sofa…it’s a bed…either way it’s genius! No more lumpy pullout sofa bed for guests and it flips stylishly out of way in seconds. From Innovative Bed Systems.

Want the most unique bar in town? Try this antique Chinese altar from Where on Earth…did you get that?

An antique traveling trunk makes a funky cof fee table and old farm copper pots add spice to your kitchen. A vailable at Where on Earth…did you get that?

Best part of a hot bath? Wrapping yourself in giant plush towels in rich ear th tones from Jazzy Bed and Bath.

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LIFE

to your home! Airdrie has p lenty to offer when it comes to products for your home. Check out what we found around town.

This isn’t your grandmother’ s washing machine! The Kenmore Elite HE5 washer in the new shade Barolo uses 71% less water than a conventional washer , comes with a heavy duty “Hercules” hinge and the coolest audio visual controls ( that don’ t require a pilot’ s license to navigate). The 3.8 cu. ft. capacity will have you begging the kids for dirty clothes. The matching HE5 dryer has a drum light you can switch on without opening the door (clever). Exclusive Even Heat feature monitors and varies temperature to prevent clothes from being over dried and damaged. 7.0 cu. ft. super capacity holds a king size comfor ter. Both available at Sears Airdrie

This stained glass pub light will make your rec room the envy of the Texas Hold’em crowd. From In Hot Water Spas

Laundry Plus+ (not shown) Perhaps the best invention the laundr y room has seen – coordinating storage towers keep products organized and conveniently within reach. T owers can be placed between the washer and dr yer or on either side. Features include pullout trays, drawer liners and a retractable hanging rod to air dr y or hang clothes while ironing (yes you still have to do that job yourself.) Available at Sears Airdrie v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE HOMES

Ken Couston takes a look through his work. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

Creative Glass Design By Stacey Carefoot

Ken Couston moved to Airdrie for the same reason as many others, he’d had enough of the big city and it was time to move on. Although Airdrie has long past city status and is growing exponentially, when customers walk into Creative Glass Design located just off Main Street on First Avenue they can’t help but get that comforting small town feel.

“We make the w indows of your world beautiful,” says Couston, the type of guy who brings his dog to work and almost always has a s mile on his face. Couston brought his stained glass talen t from Calgary to Airdrie a l ittle over four years ago. Creative Glass Design specializes in one of a kind, custom fit stained glass windows.“Although customers have over 2,700 different stock designs to choose from, there is virtually nothing we can’t do when it comes to glass,” says Couston when he de scribes how he once accom plished turning a c ustomer’s existing tattoo into a pie ce of stained glass for their home.

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Visitors to his shop might be a little surprised when they find very few pieces of stained glass inside the store. Due to the custom nature of the job, Couston prefers to get a feel for the client’s needs and style as opposed to having pre-made pieces for people to purchase.“We create for people an art lineage, you come into our s hop and purchase things that will be passed on for generations,” remarking on the importance of getting to k now his clients and understanding their needs and wants. The sky’s the l imit when it comes to the s tained glass creations that can be produced at Creative Glass Design there is no limit however on the cost of adding this art form to your home or business.Whether it’s a small addition to your home or a huge investment, whether you want to spend $100 or $10,000 Creative Glass Design is mak ing the w indows of Airdrie and surrounding area beautiful.

AIRDRIE HOMES

Renovations By Stacey Carefoot

The term home renovations can bring fear to even the bravest soul. Typically renovations bring with them a number of inconveniences including but not limited to; sleeping on the living room floor, washing dishes in the bathtub, cooking in the microwave or in the extreme cases of home renovations, home owners may even be forced to find other accommodations for long periods of time, but is it worth it? What are the benefits and payoffs when it comes to home renovations in the Airdrie housing market?

Realtor Michelle Carre with Re/Max Rocky View reminds those lo oking to r enovate purely to increase their real estate value that sometimes a little spit polish and paint touch up can do the trick and renovations are not always the answer for increased value.“For homes with no garages a garage addition is almost always welcome. Most people are willing to sacrifice some backyard space for a warm place to park their car in the winter,” says Carre. Carre is quick to warn the “do it yourselfer” that a poorly done home renovation will almost always lower the price of one’s home on the market.“Doing things yourself it a great way to save money, but you have to know HOW to do it yourself,” says Carre who also warns homeowners to know their limits, both financial and physical. Ann Burt, with Cottage to Castle Appraisals Inc. an Airdrie based home appraisal company has some helpful advice for those looking to up the value of their property. She reminds homeowners to consider their neighbourhoods and surroundings before taking on a home renovation.“Consider the trends of your neighbourhood, if you’re living in a newer development and your home is of similar fixtures and features as those around you, then it wouldn’t be advised to make any improvements to the existing fixtures,” says Burt. Instead she suggests looking towards basement development and attractive landscaping. “Basement development has the potential to bring you a dollar for dollar return,” say Burt. Basements that will bring you the highest returns should be more than just a finished outside shell.A family room, bedroom, bathroom and a storage area are the four major factors to include when finishing a basement. “Finishing a basement with the previously mentioned layout properly completed with standard mouldings, floorcover, plumbing and electrical fixtures could see a return ranging from $35k-50k,” says Burt. For those living in more mature neighbourhoods some general maintenance and repairs that may help bring you a fair return include roofing, windows, hot water tank and furnace upgrades. Nice looking landscaping with a standard wood deck, wood fence, healthy sod and a tree could fetch an Airdrie homeowner an additional $5,000 -10,000 depending on lot size and location. Carre and Burt both agree that kitchens and bathrooms are a great place to focus on when considering selling your home. “We all k now that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes,” say Michelle Carre. Upgrading faucets, lights and other fixtures is likely to bring a good return on investment and may be all that’s needed get your home ready for the market. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Get down to earth with Blue Grass Blue Grass Nurser y Sod and Garden

“We’ve really strived to create a one stop

often still planted late into November

Centre is more than down to ear th, they

shopping destination for the avid green

And many people do their hardscaping

are climbing trellises, decorating patios

thumb, arborist and nature lover,” Pieper

late in the year to get a jumpstart on their

and filling gift bags year round.

says as she uncrates some of the new

spring landscaping project.

stock arriving in time for the gift giving If you’ve always thought of Blue Grass

season. In fact the boxes she is gently

But Pieper is already working behind the

just north of Countr y Hills Boulevard as

unpacking hold the perfect ideas for gifts

scenes on spring. The expansion of the

“the place to get the best sod and trees”

for friends and family, anyone who loves

garden centre will see an extra 3,000

it’s time you stopped by to realize just

to beautify their yard or bring a little of

square feet added. “It will be even big-

how much more Blue Grass has become.

the outside into their home.

ger to meet our customer’ s needs, from

Manager Linda Pieper has been trans-

Pieper shows a beautiful collection of

nishings for the yard and a new focus on

forming the nursery into a full fledged gar-

indoor waterfalls, wind chimes and

providing everything you need to build

dening centre with the widest selection

whimsical garden ar t from stepping

and maintain a healthy pond system.”

on perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees.

stones to garden fairies and then for the

But the real discover y is that Blue Grass

practical gift giver , the gloves, water

If you’ve only done your garden shop-

has been carrying the items that make a

wands, pruning tools and hand trowels

ping in a big box store, you will be real-

yard more than just a green space, they

that make any gardener’s face light up in

ly pleased by the knowledge and pas-

make it an extension of your home and

the dark of winter.

sion the Blue Grass Nurser y Sod and

tools to new varieties of plants, more fur-

living space; garden accents, ornaments,

Garden Centre have for everything green

architectural artifacts from around the

Behind the main garden centre which is

and in between. Don’t wait until spring to

world, bistro sets, benches, arbors, dec-

open year round, the staff is busy loading

discover the treasures at Blue Grass –

orative pots, life size statues, the list con-

firewood for customers – Blue Grass car-

make a trip this weekend – it’ll grow on

tinues to grow each season.

ries birch and spruce by the truckload

you!

and with Calgar y’s climate, trees are

A i rd r i e L I F E • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • v o l u m e 4

AIRDRIE HOMES

From top left clockwise: The stunning dining nook of the Mckee AnnalongIII; a bold pattern in the bedroom of the Centrex Greystone II, basement development in the McKee home includes a fully equipped bar; the two storey view over the Centrex dining room, warmth and light in the McKee great room, private oasis in the Beattie Excaliber IV master suite.

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Prairie Springs Style

Prairie Springs Hill has views inside and out, on this page from top left clockwise; rich wood grains in the Galler y Bateman II, welcoming sitting area in the Galler y great room, serenity times two in the Talisman Pinnacle 4 master suite; cool contrasts of dark and light reflected in the Talisman great room.

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AIRDRIE HOMES

Condo Projects a Perfect Fit By Alex Frazer-Harrison

Airdrie has b ecome a ho t market for condominiums, as builders set their sights on one of Canada’s fastest-growing housing markets. Although prices are creeping up, Airdrie is still considered a m ore affordable alternative to Cal gary, says Corey O’Neil, director of sales and marketing for www.AirdrieTownHomes.com, which is developing Luxstone Village, a community of 55 luxury town homes, on a s ite adjacent to Nose Creek Park.

“Buyers feel they get better value for their dollar,” he says.“It’s hard to find real estate projects on water or backing onto a park … compared to our [starting] price points, you’re paying an extra $50,000-60,000 in Calgary.” Kelowna-based Renascence Developments Corp., meanwhile, plans to transform a tennis court site adjacent to the East Lake Recreation and Wellness Centre into The Edge, a 190unit, four-storey condo building. “The more we looked at it, the more we real-

ized multi-family projects on the e ast side of Airdrie were needed,” says Andrew Bruce, vicepresident of planning and de velopment. “Airdrie is attractive because it has the smallertown feeling that people appreciate and value. We saw this as a market looking for something more urban.” Bruce says 13 units in The Edge will be sold back to the C ity “at cost” for use as af fordable housing. O’Neil says the fast growth of amenities within Airdrie, coupled with its proximity to Calgary and the fu ture mall de velopment at Balzac, has people lining up for condominium opportunities. “We expect strong demand … w ith people choosing Airdrie as a p lace to l ive,” he says. “The market is growing stronger and stronger as the months go on.”

“The [Stoney Trail] ring road will have a huge impact on real estate prices,” O’Neil says. “Anytime you have increased access to an area, it impacts value in a positive way.” Bruce agrees that easy access to Cal gary’s amenities – i n particular the I nternational Airport – is a major selling feature. “You’re 15-20 mi nutes from the ai rport and not that far from downtown Calgary,” he says. “But what shouldn’t be overlooked is the [appeal of ] the Airdrie community. It has a great spirit to it, and the people there have been very friendly and accommodating to us. “There are a lot of people in Calgary looking for an alternative to living in Calgary. In Airdrie, we’ve seen huge interest from investors looking to get rental units there … and strong interest from local people looking for that starter-home purchase.”

Developments in and around Calgary are expected to ha ve an i mpact on condo values and demand in Airdrie. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE HOMES

Condo Talk So you’ve found a condo that you love and have an accepted conditional offer in place. Most likely, the conditions are financing and condominium documents – but what to do with those condo documents? Having them looked at by a company that specializes in reviewing condo documents is vital to happy condo ownership. These companies can help to determine whether or not there is a healthy reser ve fund, if there is a special assessment or any legal action against the condo corporation, or if there are any restrictions (ie. pets, age, vehicle parking, etc.). All of this information and more is gathered from the board minutes, the annual general meeting, the bylaws, the reserve fund study, financial statements, etc. which most of us would find very dry reading and difficult to decipher. The results of the review can affect your decision greatly. If, for example, there is a special assessment or a shor tage in the reserve fund, this will have to be rectified and there will be either an increase in condo fees or an extra fee will have to be paid by each condo owner until the bill or special assessment is paid. The cost is similar to the cost of a home inspection so think of having the condo documents reviewed as having an inspection on the condo corporation. If there aren’

t any

issues, then you have complete peace of mind. If there are serious issues, you have just saved yourself time and money in the long run! Your Realtor® can help you through this process and can recommend a few companies that would review the condominium documents.

Gaylene Weidlich is a Realtor® with RE/MAX Rocky V iew here in Airdrie. She is a Cer tified Condominium Specialist and invites you to contact her at 923-3286 or visit her website at www.move-up.ca .

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AIRDRIE CITY

AirdrieLIFE is…happening at City Hall City Hall has two complete floors which include Council Chambers, the office of the Mayor, the office of the city manager, meeting rooms, staff office space and the reception area. Friendly and professional customer service personnel are on hand to deal with any inquiries or questions you may have. City Hall Customer Service Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Airdrie City Hall is located at: 400 Main Street, SE, Airdrie AB T4B 3B4 (403) 948-8800 Payments: • Taxes • Ambulance • Garbage Tags

• Utilities • Dog Licenses

Services: • Economic Development • Building Permits

• Planning and Development • Community Services

Council Meetings City Council meetings occur on the first and third Monday of each month. Meetings are open to the public and are called to order at 7:00 pm in Council Chambers. If a scheduled meeting falls on a holiday, the meeting is he ld on the Tuesday of the same week.

Looking for City of Airdrie news, information and events? AirdrieToday eNewsletter Sign-up for the City of Airdrie monthly eNewsletter, AirdrieToday and keep up-to-date on any city events, news and information affecting your life. www.airdrie.ca v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE CITY

On the move Airdrie Transit has made several changes based on research making the service more efficient for transit patrons.

Special Needs Transit – Airdrie Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Beginning July 9, 2007: • Change in routes to ensure 40 minute frequency • An addition of another bus route focusing in the central area, connecting all routes west/east and north/south • Decrease in transit fee to $2 for a single cash fare (already implemented)

Evening Service – Dial-a-Bus Provided on a shared public/special needs basis Monday – Friday: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

“We have been monitoring transit ridership levels for the past two years and it has been declining,” says Michelle Lock, City of Airdrie Director of Community Services.“User feedback we have received indicates the route travel time is too long. All changes we are making will decrease route travel time and deliver more efficient service to transit customers.” The City anticipates these changes will make all routes connect better and decrease travel times. With improved service levels, ridership and revenues are expected to increase. Public Transit: Route 1 West: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm Route 2 Central: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm Route 3 East: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

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Saturday Dial-a-Bus Service 9:00 am – 10:00 pm For a complete schedule visit www.airdrie.ca

The evening service usage will be evaluated in September 2007. The current schedule for Special Needs Transit service to Cal gary will remain the same. The City will also be looking into future service cost efficiencies and exploring available grant funding for the purchase of buses, expanded fuel storage and using bio-diesel. These factors may reduce the hourly service cost.

AIRDRIE CITY

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AIRDRIE CITY

AirdrieLIFE is… environmentally focused Recycle Depot 15 East Lake Hill Phone: (403) 948-0246 Email: environmental.services@airdrie.ca Website: http://www.airdrie.ca Winter Hours October 1 - April 30 Monday and Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 9:00 am. – 8:00 pm Thursday – Sunday: 9:00 am. – 5:00 pm Extended Summer Hours May 1 - September 30 Monday and Tuesday: Closed Wednesday – Friday: 9:00 am. – 8:00 pm Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am. – 5:00 pm Statutory Holiday Hours Call to confirm: (403) 948-0246 Materials accepted at the recycling depot • Newspaper • Plastic milk jugs • Plastic lids & caps • Vehicle batteries • Propane tanks • Household metal • Televisions • Aerosol cans • Used oil filters • Phone books • Cell phones • Used clothing • Used oil and containers • White office paper • Plastic – #1, #2 and #5 • Mixed coloured paper & magazines • Plastic shopping bags • Used antifreeze and antifreeze containers • Coloured & clear glass • Cardboard milk cartons • Computers & peripherals • Rechargeable batteries • Cardboard & boxboard • Book exchange

3. The Depot is not a dumping station for garbage

Why We Separate Material The City of Airdrie asks you to se parate materials when you come to the D epot. Residents help us sort all the time, but do you know why you are doing this work? Here are some of the reasons why: • To keep costs reasonable. If you don’t sort the materials, the City of Airdrie would have to pay someone else to do it for us. • Material markets demand it. When materials are recycled they are becoming a resource feedstock for a man ufacturing process and many processes cannot deal with contamination (unauthorized material). • It increases revenue. The City always strives to make sure we receive top dollar for our materials. It is p art of our commitment to keeping costs reasonable. If the material is too contaminated then the value may be downgraded or it may not be accepted at all, this means all the collecting is for nothing and the load has to go to the landfill.

Dumping of garbage at the Recycling Depot adds to operational costs.

Seasonal Programs

The following items are NOT accepted at the Recycling Depot: • Styrofoam • Waxed cardboard • Tires • Wood • Tree branches • Sod • Drywall Recycling Tips 1. Please place all items in the appropriate bins

Please read the red and green bin signs. 2. Ensure recyclables are clean and separated properly

Some items are made of more than one type of recyclable material, so please ensure each part is placed in the correct bin. It is necessary for each bin to be free of mixed material since we deliver recyclable materials directly to market. Clean materials are easier to sell and generate higher revenue.

Toxic Round Up / Paint Exchange

If you have any questions or require any assistance, feel free to ask staff. Why We Take the Materials We Do It would be nice if everything we throw out could be recycled, but this isn’t possible. The City of Airdrie goes to great lengths to recycle as much as possible. Some materials do n ot have an e stablished market; process to de al with it; or it is too cost prohibitive for recycling. This makes collection, transportation or processing too expensive. Taking materials to the Depot is the first step in a long process of getting materials recycled!

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Runs May 1 - September 30 Community Composting

Runs May 1 - October 31 Christmas Tree Chipping

Runs December 27, 2007 – January 19, 2008 Residential Garbage Collection A unit of waste is a ga rbage bag u p to 660 mm x 914 mm (26” x 36”) or a garbage can from 70 to 100 l itres, and shall not weigh more than 34 kilograms (75 lbs). The standard galvanized garbage can is 77 litres. Larger bags or cans are counted as two units.

Residential Garbage Collection Schedule MONDAY

Bayside Coopers Crossing Luxstone Morningside

TUESDAY

Airdrie Meadows Edgewater Old Town (Village) Ridgegate Summerhill Waterstone

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Big Springs Meadowbrook King’s Heights

Canals Jensen Sagewood Thorburn

FRIDAY

Fairways Main Street Trailer Park Silver Creek Stonegate Sunridge Willowbrook Woodside

Garbage must be out by 7:00 am for pick-up!

Condominium complexes and apartments are not charged for residential collection; therefore, they are not eligible for door to d oor pick-up.

Oversize bags are considered one and a half units. Each resident is allo wed to p lace two units of waste at the curb for pick-up. What if I have more than two units?

Additional units may be placed at the curb if it displays an extr a garbage sticker (one garbage sticker per unit up to a maximum of five units per household). Garbage stickers can be purchased by Airdrie residents at the following locations:

• • • • • •

Airdrie Public Library City Hall (400 Main Street) East Lake Recreation and Wellness Centre Transfer Site Recycle Depot (15 East Lake Hill) Public Works (15 East Lake Hill)

Extended Summer Hours

above prior to arrival at the site. The Transfer Site does not accept pesticides, herbicides, paint, or other chemicals and/or their containers. These items should be taken to the R ecycling Depot during Toxic Roundup / Paint Exchange, which runs May 1 – September 30. Remember to secure and tarp any materials hauled on our highways. Loads th at are left uncovered may be subject to large fines.

May 1 - October 1 Friday: 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm Saturday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm Sunday: 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm Monday – Thursday: CLOSED Statutory Holidays

Call to confirm. Transfer Site Rates:

New Rates effective January 1, 2007: $30 for 3/4 ton truck load Car and Truck Tires: First four free, additional tires are $2/tire Refrigerators and F reezers: $10 each (covers materials handling fee) Transfer Site Accepts: Automobile Batteries

Transfer Site

Lead-acid (auto/boat)

Location:

Clean Fill

Six km west on Highway 567 n ext to the rodeo grounds • Phone: (403) 948-0246 • Website: www.airdrie.ca The Transfer Site is run on the user-pay system. The residential garbage utility does not support the operation of the Waste Transfer Site and it is not supported through the general tax base.

Loam, clay, asphalt and concrete

Winter Hours

Wire, mattresses, old furniture, shingles, etc.

October 1 - April 30 Saturday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm Sunday – Friday: CLOSED

Propane Tanks

Scrap Metal

Car parts, appliances, hot water tanks, etc. Refrigerators/freezers Clean Wood

Residential construction material, trees, fences, tree limbs, shrubs and bushes (free of cloth, metal wire, etc.) Tires Household Waste

The City of Airdrie Toilet Replacement Program If you replace your old 20 litre or 13 litre toilet with a lo w flow model from the C ity of Airdrie’s eligible toilet list, you will receive a credit on your water bill from the city. Dual flush models $100 credit per toilet replaced 6 litre models - $50 credit per toilet replaced To be eligible for the credit you must be replacing a 20 o r 13 l itre toilet with a to ilet from the eligible toilet list. This ensures that you will be purchasing a low flow model that has been found to be a reliable model based on national testing standards. If you purchase a toilet not found on the eligible toilet list you will not be eligible for the credit. Visit the City of Airdrie website at www.airdrie.ca or call E nvironmental Services at (403) 948-0246 for more information.

How to Sort Please sort all loads into the groups indicated v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

AIRDRIE CITY

2007 Non-Residential Comparisons A comparison has been under taken to show the assessment & taxation comparisons of non-residential proper ties between Airdrie, Calgary and Cochrane. The comparisons are for both industrial and commercial proper ties. The proper ty details used for comparison purposes are not specific to any par ticular site.

Airdrie Property Tax Rate: 12.69

Calgary Property Tax Rate: 13.7453

Cochrane Property Tax Rate: 14.41

Calgary Business Tax Rate: 7.81

Industrial Property 2.5 Acre Site, 40,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse, 5,000 Sq. Ft. Of fice

Assessment & Taxation

Airdrie

Calgary

Cochrane

Property Assessment

$ 3,500,000

$ 3,600,000

$ 3,465,000

Property Taxes

$ 42,167

$ 49,483

$ 43,971

Business Assessment

$ 202,500

Business Taxes

$1,581

Total Taxes

$ 42,167

$ 51,064

$ 43,971

Calgary’s total taxes are 21.10% higher than taxes in Airdrie. Cochrane’s total taxes are 4.10% higher than taxes in Airdrie.

Commercial Property 2.00- 3.00 Acre Site, 28,000 Sq. Ft. A verage Quality Retail

Assessment & Taxation

Airdrie

Calgary

Cochrane

Property Assessment

$ 3,752,000

$ 5,500,000

$ 3,668,000

Property Taxes

$ 45,203

$ 75,519

$ 46,547

Business Assessment

$ 406,000

Business Taxes

$ 3,170

Total Taxes

$ 45,203

$78,769

Calgary’s total taxes are 74.0% higher than taxes in Airdrie. Cochrane’s total taxes are 2.9% higher than taxes in Airdrie. Airdrie has a definite tax advantage over Calgar y and a slight advantage over Cochrane overall.

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$ 46,547

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A i rd r i e L I F E â&#x20AC;˘ f a l l 2 0 0 7 â&#x20AC;˘ v o l u m e 4

AIRDRIE CITY

AirdrieLIFE is… enhanced with support • Airdrie Food Bank provides short-term food assistance to r esidents of Airdrie and outlying communities. Visit www.airdriefoodbank.com or call 948-0063 • Airdrie Meals on Wheels provides regular nourishing meals to help people remain healthy and independent in the comfort of their own homes. Call 815-1400 o r 948-6639 • Society for Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Airdrie (SASHA) works toward safe, decent and affordable housing for every resident of Airdrie. Call 948-8800 ext. 701 • AWSBA – Airdrie Women in Small Business Association provides support for women in small business. Meetings held once a month. Visit www.airdriewomen.ca • Airdrie & District Victim Assistance provides support and information for victims of crime and tragedy. Visit www.airdrievictimassistance.com or call 948-3468 • Airdrie Family Services Counselling Program prevents personal and f amily breakdown, enhances the abilities of individuals and families to c onstructively manage their lives and enriches the quality of family life. Visit www.airdriefamilyservices.ca or call 945-3900 • Rocky View School Division Family School Liaison Program provides social support services to c hildren and families in Airdrie by working with school staff and community agencies. Visit www.rockyview.ab.ca or call 945-4000 • Airdrie Family Services Family

Resource Program helps families towards the goal of optimum family functioning. Visit www.airdriefamilyservices.ca or call 945-3900 • Airdrie Boys & G irls Club offers safe and accessible social, educational and recreational programs for youth. Visit www.abgc.8m.com or call 948-3331 • R. J. Hawkey Breakfast Program cares for students who have needs for personal, social and/or nutritional support outside their homes on school day mornings. Call 948-3939 • Airdrie Family Services Out of School Care Program decreases the number of Airdrie children left unsupervised by helping families in financial need who are working, attending educational institutions, or who have special needs. Visit www.airdriefamilyservices.ca or call 945-3900 • Alberta Mentor Foundation for Youth (AMFY) helps junior and senior high school students achieve their full potential through supportive in-school mentoring relations. Visit www.amfy.org o r call 945-2535 • North Rocky View Community Resource Centre is your “gateway to the community” providing: individual/family crisis support, intake/assessment/referrals, avenues to basic needs and much more. Please call 948-0263 (to ll free 1-866-9127272), e-mail ask@ yourcrc.com, or drop by the office at 112 – 1s t Ave NW, Airdrie (Provincial Building). Open until 8:00 p m

A i rd r i e L I F E • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • v o l u m e 4

on Thursday evenings. • Airdrie Seniors Outreach Program enables seniors to r emain healthy and engaged in the community by linking seniors, information and resources. Visit www.airdrieseniors.com or call 316-9955 • FREE Coffee socials for families raising children with disabilities: Includes childcare, music therapy and information sessions. Fourth Thursday of each month, 6:00 pm to 8:00 p m. To register call Ch ildren’s Link at 948-0263 • Parent Link Centre: Airdrie Family Services and the North Rocky View Community Resource Centre have collaborated in the opening of a new Airdrie & Area Parent Link Centre. The services and programs are intended to promote family wellness and provide support for families of young children, helping them to connect with the appropriate resources to meet their needs. Call 948-0263 or 945-3900. Distress Centre 24-HR CRISIS LINE: 266-1605 AADAC – Alberta Alcohol & Drug Abuse Commission: 912-3306 Airdrie Mental Health: 948-3878 Airdrie Regional Health Centre: 912-8400 Bethany Care Centre Airdrie: 948-6022 Calgary Rocky View Child & Family Service: 912-4758 Closer to Home: 948-9776 Block Parents Association: 948-0111 Airdrie Employment Services: 948-9711 Credit Counselling Services of Alberta: 265-2201 Rocky View Adult Literacy Program: 948-6556

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AIRDRIE CITY

AirdrieLIFE is active!

Whatever your recreational pursuits, Airdrie is sure to have an organized group for you to join. Sports Groups Airdrie BMX Association Bonnie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .912-0919 Glen Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202-1888 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdriebmx.com Airdrie Bowling Club Youth/Adult/Senior Leagues 805 East Lake Blvd, Airdrie AB . . . . . . . . . . .948-3404 • fax: 948-4685 Airdrie Curling Club 275 Jensen Drive NE, Airdrie, AB, T4B 2B8 Booking Information: Gary Ritchie . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-7100 Club/Pro Shop: . . . . . . . . . . . .948-7100 Concession: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-0602 Airdrie & District Soccer Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-6260 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdriesoccer.com

Airdrie & District Ag Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-2290 . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieagsociety.com

Airdrie Ju-Jitsu Daniel Verzotti .239-9467 cell: 607-0621 . . . . . . .www.members.shaw.ca/goshindo

Airdrie Chinook Winds Baseball Association Dennis Driscoll . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-7387

Airdrie Ladies Fastball League P.O. Box 5314, Airdrie Alber ta, T4B 2T9 Linda Raymond . . . . . . . . . . . .948-4699

Airdrie Dance Academy 291070 Yankee Valley Road Susan Laing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-5530 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdriedance.ca

Airdrie Little League Box 3885, Airdrie, AB, T4B 2B9 Rob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-6279 . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrielittleleague.com

Airdrie Edge Gymnastics Club Twin Arena Complex, Airdrie, Alber ta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-7769 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieedge.com

Airdrie Minor Basketball Colin McKenna . . . . . . . . . . . . .945-1010 . . .www.intouchsystems.net/intouch/amba

Airdrie Girls Softball Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-2811

Airdrie Minor Hockey Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .912-2680 . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieminorhockey.ca

Airdrie Judo Club Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .592-0918

Airdrie Mixed Industrial Slo-Pitch Rey Frederick . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-1339

A i rd r i e L I F E • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • v o l u m e 4

Airdrie Nutty Housewife Hockey Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Airdriehl2003@shaw .ca

Airdrie Volleyball Club Jim Kramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-3367

Airdrie Ringette Association Box 3086, Airdrie, AB, T4B 2B4 Charles Wardell . . . . . . . . . . . .912-4660 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieringette.com

Airdrie Yoga Studio . . . . . . . .945-1825 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieyoga.com

Airdrie Skating Club Plainsmen Arena, Airdrie, Alberta Terry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-4230 ext. 2 . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieskatingclub.com Airdrie Storm Football (Bantam) . . . . . . . . . . . . .airdriestor m@hotmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . .www .eteamz.com/airstorm Airdrie Thunder Junior Hockey Club 80 Waterstone Cres, Airdrie, Alberta, T4B 2E5 Frank McEvoy, President & General Manager . . . . . . . . . . .948-7511 fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .912-1762 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdriethunder.com

Ambition Arts Studio . . . . . . .375-0445 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .ambitionarts.com Goshindo Karate / Airdrie J.K.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239-9467 Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .607-0621 E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . .dverzotti@shaw .ca . . . . . . .www.members.shaw.ca/goshindo Horizon Taekwon-Do Aron Johnston . . . . . . . . .912-6TKD (853) E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . .horizontkd@shaw .ca Imeson Highland Dancers Head Instructor: Jessica Imeson . .701-0726 E-mail . . . . . . . . . .jessicai@pfscalgar y.com

Nose Creek Swim Association (Airdrie Competitive Swim Club) Mail: NCSA, Beddington Postal Outlet, Box 51002, Calgary, Alberta T3K 3V9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208-5353 Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208-5355 . . . . .http://members.shaw.ca/ncsaswim/ Star Baton & Dance Company Mandy Yip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-9999 E-mail . . . . . . . . . .mandy@starbaton.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .starbaton.com Rockyview Lacrosse Association Stephen Hillier . . . . . . . . . . . . .912-2371 . . . . . . . . . . .www .rockyviewlacrosse.com Woodside Golf Club . . . . . . . .686-4653 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .woodsidegc.com Synchro Stars Club Arlene Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-1969

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AIRDRIE CITY

Artists Guild of Airdrie

(Rockyview Art Club) By Stacey Carefoot

AirdrieLIFE is involved Service Organizations #88 Royal Air Cadet Squadron A/Captain Carol Hartwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-7788 #3016 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Commanding Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710-7363

Art has many definitions; simply put it is the p roduct of human creativity and the creation of something beautiful. Art provides different things to dif ferent people and can b e expressed in countless ways. Artists come in all s hapes and sizes, they’re teachers, pilots, stay at home parents and professionals.Whether you have a simple appreciation for art or you think you could be the n ext Picasso, the Artists Guild of Airdrie could be the club for you.

Airdrie Boys and Girls Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-3331 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .abbcairdrie.com Airdrie Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-4412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .airdriechamber.ab.ca Airdrie & District Special Olympics Kim Nicholas Box 5024, Airdrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 912-7842 Airdrie Festival of Lights Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 912-9627 www.airdriefestivaloflights.com Airdrie Girl Guides Dawn Gilchrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946-4262

The Artists Guild of Airdrie (also known as the Rockyview Art Club) meets on the sec ond and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Gathering upstairs at the Airdrie Co-op, location members of this small but strong club share ideas, work on projects and plan for the clubs future direction. For the $20 yearly membership fee club members can attend meetings and workshops to help nurture their love of art.“It’s so much fun to just go out and meet people in an “art” way,” says president Tami Hort who has been with the club for close to 14 years. The Artists Guild of Airdrie gains exposure in the community by displaying artwork in various locations throughout the city including the Airdrie Public Library and Smitty’s Restaurant.“You don’t have to be an expert to belong to the Guild, we don’t intimidate newcomers,” says Hort, explaining that due to the c lub’s modest size it tends to attract a lot of beginners. Do you have a new found interest in art and are looking to broaden your horizons? Or are you a seasoned artist looking to share your craft with others? The Airdrie Artists Guild will welcome you with open arms. “It’s fun, we laugh a lo t…we draw a dog, it looks like a rat..SO WHAT!” says Tami Hort. “It’s all for fun.”

Airdrie Mentor Foundation for Youth Leanne Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945-2535 Airdrie Scouts 1st - Dwayne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-0181 2nd - Bert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-5016 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-5243 5th - Bea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 912-5811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Email: Chinook@scouts.ca Airdrie Breakfast Club Bonnie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-2121 Airdrie Volunteer First-Aid Brigade Membership and Training Lori Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420-1064 Requests for Support Kim Greenizan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-6977 Alberta 4-H Rob Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-8501 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .info@4h.ab.ca Ducks Unlimited Keith Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863-4363 Friends of the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948-2778 Junior Forest Wardens Gary Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-1652 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www .airdriejfw.ca Kinsmen Club Don Scotten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-6519 Knights of Columbus Mike Perri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-5166 Lions Club Dan McKinnon . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-5447

A i rd r i e L I F E • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • v o l u m e 4

Want to discover how great this community is? Then get involved. From service organizations to hobby clubs, Airdrie has plenty of oppor tunities for you and your family to get involved. Nose Creek Valley Museum .948-6685 Optimist Club Bill Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-5207 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .optimist.org Probus Club of Airdrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .945-0663 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .probus.org/airdrie Rotary Club Susanne Evans . . . . . . . . . . . .316- 9976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrierotary.org Royal Canadian Legion . . . . .948-3000

Hobby and Leisure

Airdrie Pro Rodeo

Artists Guild of Airdrie (Rockyview Art Club) Tami Hort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .668-4118 Airdrie Community Choir Eileen Sivertson . . . . . . . . . . . .948-2118 Airdrie Drag Racing Team 197 Acacia Drive, Airdrie, AB, T4B 1G6 Harry Svingen . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-2962 Ed Dyck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-3074 Rod Havens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-7214 . . . . . . . . . . .Email: heritageref@telus.net Airdrie Horticultural Society Tyler

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .912-0559

Airdrie Little Theatre Rob Christie . . .948-6289 Cell: 606-8702 Airdrie Public Library . . . . . .948-0600

Box 3663, Airdrie, Alberta, T4B 2B8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-0512 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrieprorodeo.net Airdrie School of Art Jane Romanishko . . . . . . . . . . .912-0348 Bert Church Live Theatre . . . .948-2153 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www .airdrie.ca/arts Nose Creek Historical Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-6287 Pegasus Pony Club Brenda Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-2382 Rockyview Ramblers Square Dance Club . . . . . . . .948-4181 The Over 50 Club Neil Ellison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .948-4207 Toastmasters Joseph Schluter . . . . . . . . . . . .946-5553 Windy Ridge Riders Donna Normdon . . . . . . . . . . .946-5842 Woodside Seniors Club . . . . .948-4088

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FA L L 2 0 0 7 S C H E D U L E

East Lake Recreation & Wellness Centre Ph: (403) 948 - 8804 website: www.airdrie.ca Effective September 1 - December 31, 2007 CUSTOMER SERVICE- call 948 - 8804 ext. 550

MONDAY 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

TUESDAY 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

THURSDAY 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Prebooking of child care is required - call 948 - 8804 ext. 512 (Sept. 4 - Dec. 31, 2007) 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 8:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. 8:45 a.m. - 11:45 p.m. 5:30 - 8 p.m. 5:30 - 8 p.m. 5:30 - 8 p.m.

FITNESS CENTRE- call 948 - 8804 ext. 517 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

SUNDAY 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

CHILDCARE

GYMNASIUM

6:45 - 8 p.m. Gym B

To confirm open gym times - call 948 - 8804 ext. 550 (Sept. 1 - Dec. 31, 2007) 6:45 - 8:15 p.m. 4:30 - 6 p.m. 6:45 - 8:15 p.m. 7 - 8:30 p.m. 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Gym A Gym A Gym A Gym A Gym A

2:30 - 4 p.m. Gym A

AQUATIC & AEROBIC DROP-IN FITNESS CLASSES

NO CLASSES: SEPTEMBER 1-3, OCTOBER 6-8, NOVEMBER 11, DECEMBER 25-26 (DUE TO HOLIDAY WEEKENDS) (If attendance in drop in classes is less than 6 for 3 consective weeks , classes may be discontinued) MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 5:45 - 6:30 a.m. Deep Water Running Deep Water Running 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Deep Water Running 8:45 - 9:30 a.m. Deep Water Running 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Aquafit Aquafit Aquafit Butts & Gutts Light Step 20/20/20 Circuit Variety 10:20 - 11 a.m. Fit Over Fifty 10:45. - 11:45 a.m. Mind, Body Balance 11:15 am - 12 pm Older Adult Aqua Older Adult Aqua Older Adult Aqua 12:15 - 1 p.m. Deep Water Running Deep Water Running The Nooner Deep Water Running 5:30 - 6:15 p.m. Deep Water Running Butt & Gutts Deep Water Running 6:15 - 7 p.m. Deep Water Running Deep Water Running 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Above & Beyond Cardio Chaos Body Blast Tae Box 7:45 - 8:45 p.m. Boot Camp Ball Fusion 8:00 - 8:45 p.m. Deep Water Running Deep Water Running PLEASE NOTE: Children under the age of seven are required to be accompanied by a responsible person 16 years of age or older . Further, to ensure safety, the child is to be within arms reach of the responsible person at all times they are in the aquatic area. Patrons are required to take a cleansing shower prior to entering any of the aquatic bodies of water, steam room or before making use of the w ater slide.

AQUATIC HOURS - FALL 2007 (Sept 4 - Dec 31, 2007) MONDAY 2 - 4 p.m. 8 - 9:30 p.m. Family Swim 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 6:30 - 8 p.m. Lane Swim 5:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Hot Tub, Steam Room 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Tot Pool 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Open Public Swim

TUESDAY 2 - 5 p.m. 7 - 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 2 - 4 p.m. 2 - 5 p.m. 2 - 9:30 p.m. 3 - 8:30 p.m. 8 - 9:30 p.m. 7 - 9:30 p.m. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 1 - 3 p.m. 6:30 - 8 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY 3 - 8:30 p.m. 12 - 3 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Parent and tot swim is open to parents with childern six years of age or younger only . Floatation device's may be used during any Public and/or Family Swim Times Gymnasium Schedule available at the Centre or www.airdrie.ca Note: Schedules subject to change, please call 948-8804 for information

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www.airdrielife.com | OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BUSINESS & INDUSTR Y IN THE CITY OF AIRDRIE

AirdrieWORKS

Airdrie businesses blend art & work

Stay on top of business in Airdrie with the

Airdrie@work Newsletter

AIRDRIE WORKS

Airdrie Economic Development

taking care of business

By Alex Frazer-Harrison

New faces and a new strategy – these are two of the ways the City of Airdrie’s Economic Development team is addressing this city’s booming growth.

With hundreds of millions of dollars of commercial and industrial investment aimed at Airdrie already – and more on the way, the City needs to expand its economic development focus in order to keep up with demand, says team leader Kent Rupert. “We sent surveys to 700 businesses and looked at the challenges companies are having with labour recruitment, affordable housing, that sort of thing,” he says.“We identified four key areas.”

From left; Leona Esau, Kent Ruper t and Sara Chamberlain make up the City’s Economic Development team.

The City’s Economic Development Sustainable Prosperity Strategy is a three-year plan focusing on business development, healthy communities, sustainable business and investment attraction. “It’s trying to balance working with the new businesses coming in … while maintaining relationships with current businesses in Airdrie, whether small and home-based, or larger operations,” says Rupert. “We also want to work with businesses to encourage environmentally responsible practices … best practices that we can pass on.” Rupert says a major goal of the strategy includes attracting business investment to Airdrie. “[Businesses] look at Airdrie as a good alternative to Calgary … since it’s on the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, is near the I nternational Airport, and half our population is brand new,” he says. “We’re getting 30-40 new business licenses per month, so we’re kept on our toes. We’re in the process of bringing in a number of major commercial projects, so we have to work with the developers on that. “We are also starting a business seminar series; one of the first topics will be employee retention, and looking at options such as lean manufacturing.” Rupert says his team is also developing a startup kit for home-basedbusiness development. “A lot of Airdrie’s economic development comes from the community … bus inesses that started in people’s garages or basements and moved to storefronts,” he says, adding a third

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Airdrie and beyond By Alex Frazer-Harrison

of the city’s business licenses are for home-based operations. “On the industrial side, we’re working to bring in quality jobs, attracting people to live here and spend money here,” says Rupert.“Right now, 40 per cent of our population drives into Calgary to work, so we have a lot of skilled and qualified workers living here. As the Deerfoot gets busier, these people will look for alternatives and Airdrie businesses have a good workforce to tap into.” Developing healthy communities is one way of making Airdrie an attractive place to work and live. “We’re looking at issues like affordable housing and opportunities including post-secondary partnerships [for training],” Rupert says.“Affordable housing can really impact [businesses] if they can’t find workers and house them here … it’s our responsibility to be part of the solution. “Our three-year strategy is intended to make sure we’re focused in a growth economy like this.”Rupert says his team will also continue to work closely with the Calgary Regional Partnership on regional issues that affect business development in Airdrie. Over the last year, Rupert’s team has launched the Airdrie@Work e-newsletter, and is r edesigning its website to p rovide the bus iness community, and potential future investors, with up-to-date information about what Airdrie has to offer. To meet the growing demand, the Economic Development team expanded this past summer, adding Economic Development Officers Sara Chamberlain and Leona Esau, both of whom share Rupert’s background in communications. “We’ve created a well-rounded team with provincial and federal contacts,” says Rupert. Chamberlain says she sees her position as playing an important role in helping Airdrie grow. “I see an opportunity to build a city that has something for everyone,” she says. “With our department expanding, we’ll be more proactive and able to pursue opportunities. It’s an exciting time to be in Airdrie.” For more information about the Economic Development Department, visit www.airdrie.ca or call 948-8844.

Airdrie is the right fit for Shawn and Brett Fitt. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

Airdrie may be one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, but in order for its business community to thrive it needs to draw in consumers from a much larger area.

Calculating Airdrie’s trade area is tricky, since the city can potentially draw from the mill ion-person monster a f ew miles down the h ighway. Many Airdrie businesses from antique shops to clothing stores attract customers not only from Calgary, but also from far and wide. “Airdrie has a trade area and it has a market area,” explains Kent Rupert, team leader for Economic Development with the City of Airdrie.“Our trade area is officially about 70,000 people stretching from the north border of Calgary up to Olds, Three Hills, and Sundre. v o l u m e 4 • f a l l 2 0 0 7 • A i rd r i e L I F E

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“But if you look at our market area, it is more in the neighbourhood of 1.2 million people. We get many people out of Calgary shopping in Airdrie, and a n umber of our businesses have [relocated] to Airdrie from Calgary, bringing with them their customer base,” Rupert adds. For example, the “Where On Earth… did you get that?” Antique Mall evolved from a gift shop that Gaylene Drader originally opened in Calgary’s Inglewood district a decade ago. Now, Drader has found success in Airdrie, and she says her bus iness has a tr ade area which is potentially worldwide. “On any given day, you can see all sorts of license plates in our parking lot,” she says. “I think we’ve had p eople from 32 dif ferent states, plus places like Ontario, Manitoba … we’ve even had people in from Germany and Holland.” Some businesses have been attracted to Airdrie because of its smalltown atmosphere and benefit from a market area that includes Calgary. “We’re able to bring people in from Calgary, and the farming communities are also r eally important, especially places like Crossfield,

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Carstairs, Acme … we get a lot of business from there,” says Shawn Fitt who with brother, Brett, opened All-Fitts Auto about a year ago. “We came from Bragg Creek initially, moved to Calgary and weren’t thrilled about living in the ci ty,” recalls Shawn. “Brett and I though t Airdrie would be good for a new location … a place that cares about the community.” All-Fitts has been able to stand out from other businesses, both by specializing – “We get a lot of the stuff no one else wants to work on like older cars and imports,” says Shawn – and by focusing on quality customer service. By doing so, the Fitt brothers have been able to make it worthwhile for out-of-town customers to make the drive to Airdrie. Although there were initial concerns in Airdrie’s business community when big-box retailers like Wal-Mart began to arrive, there have been spin-off benefits for smaller businesses, says Airdrie Chamber of Commerce president Tim Bolton.

AIRDRIE WORKS>>continued from 86

“People are always a little anxious when they see the big boxes come in, but to put a positive spin on it, it draws in [consumers] from the north of us, and instead of going through to Calgary, they’ll stop in here,” he says.“Yeah, they’ll go to Wal-Mart and Superstore, but they’ll also stop downtown and have a coffee and maybe go i nto some of the shops there.

The Chamber, Bolton notes, has been experiencing record membership levels over the last five years. “The City is handing out business licenses at a furious pace and it’s not just [big boxes] or businesses up and down Main Street. It’s homebased businesses, as well,” he says.

“And we’re attracting consumers from the north end of Calgary who don’t want to drive down the Deerfoot – it’s easier to come to Airdrie,” Bolton adds.“We’re not losing any businesses – we’re getting new businesses all the time.”

“I think Airdrie has done a pretty good job promoting itself … as country living close to the b ig city. It’s reflected in the booming residential market … we can’t build homes fast enough. And these are people who are not necessarily moving within the city but who are moving here from elsewhere.”

Since 2003 some $150 million in commercial/industrial development has come into the city.

Bolton says one of Airdrie’s drawing cards continues to be unique retailers that offer products that can’t be found elsewhere.

“Some people just like the drive to get out of the big city and to do thei r shopping,” he says. “I am o ften asked what makes Airdrie not a b edroom community. The answer is 40 p er cent of our population, according to the 2003 census, said they drive to Calgary to work, but that still leaves 60 per cent who either work in Airdrie or the region around. We even have people who live here who work in Fort McMurray. “On the other side, approximately 30 p er cent of this city’s workforce actually comes out of Calgary.”

_________ "Airdrie is considered a regional hub..." _________

“Airdrie is considered a regional hub, despite its proximity to Calgary,” says Rupert. And businesses are recognizing this. A branch of The Brick recently opened here, the Wal-Mart is undergoing a major expansion, and both Canadian Tire and Superstore recently opened new locations, providing additional shopping and service options for Airdrie and region residents who don’t want to drive into Calgary. Bolton says developments such as the p roposed megamall/race track complex at Balzac (a project which, after Calgary’s recent annexation of land from the M.D. of Rocky View, takes up a go od portion of the remaining land separating Calgary and Airdrie) will create some challenges, but he’s confident Airdrie businesses will continue to draw from the trading area. “I think Airdrie will still do a gr eat job of leveraging that situation in terms of attracting consumers past the megamall,” Bolton says.

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“Your trading area does stretch out further and people will come looking for these products and go to w here these stores are, whether they’re coming from Calgary or Airdrie or Red Deer,” he says.“They’ll go to the en ds of the earth for those unique offerings.” Rupert says Calgary’s red-hot economy can’t help but also affect Airdrie. “We do f eed off of Calgary, definitely,” he says.“Airdrie used to be considered too far out for companies to take their crews out of Calgary … now it’s worth their while.”

Although Rupert says Airdrie doesn’t see itself in direct competition with Calgary, the city has scored a f ew coups over its neighbour. FortisAlberta, an electricity distribution firm, is relocating many of its personnel to Airdrie, and Rupert says Costco Distribution Centres is building a western Canada distribution centre in Airdrie. Through the Cal gary Regional Partnership, Airdrie works with Calgary to find the best options for business and industrial growth.“If they can’t find a location in Calgary – or in Airdrie – we’ll work with them so they don’t move to another part of the country,” Rupert says. “Some companies have [population] targets – a p lace needs 30,000, 50,000 or 1 million before they look at your market. We sell Airdrie to them by saying, yeah we have 30,000 people but we have a solid 70,000 draw plus many more from Calgary. “A lot has to do w ith changing people’s perceptions.”

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AIRDRIE WORKS

The Work Begins Here By Alex Frazer-Harrison

With Airdrie’s booming economy, finding skilled employees has become a challenge for many local businesses. At the sam e time, there are Airdrie residents who are looking for that right job – o r perhaps a r eason to work here rather than commute to Calgary. A pair of local organizations are helping potential employers and employees hook up. International Staffing Consulting Services (ISCS) opened its doors last April, offering businesses access to cas ual and temporary workers, permanent staff, and international recruitment. “Every day we see the demand growing – our orders for tomorrow are triple what we had today,” says owner/director Gord Ziegler, who started the business with fellow owner/director Colin French. Both relocated to Airdrie after spending a combined 25 years working for staffing firms elsewhere. “I don’t think there’s a ‘labour’ shortage in Alberta – it’s an ‘experienced labour’ shortage,” says Ziegler.“That’s a big difference. We find ourselves dealing with different avenues of people … young students, the older generation … lo ts of workers. I think Airdrie is more a blue collar city that will train people.” French says ISCS has dealt with businesses in virtually every sector Airdrie has to offer, all of whom are looking for workers.

says.“You don’t just bring them over and say, ‘Fend for yourself.’” often filled to capacity – while providing people looking for work a p lace to pu t their resumes together and access job-hunting resources. “We’re a contractor to Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry, and we’re very much ingrained in the community and work very closely with organizations that provide [employment] services,” says team leader Andy Zimmer. “We’re seeing people all acr oss the b oard, from youths to i ndividuals reentering the workforce. And we see a lot of in-migration into the Airdrie area from places like Ontario and the M aritimes. The challenge they’re experiencing is not a case of finding work, but housing has become an issue.” As for businesses looking for workers:“There is certainly an increase in regard to organizations coming into the Airdrie area and looking for employees,” says Zimmer, noting there will also b e increased demand for labour as already-established businesses such as WalMart expand. Zimmer says his organization is willing to “sit down and brainstorm” with businesses “to see what can be done to recruit employees, and retain the existing workforce.” French says federal labour law changes have made it easier to utilize immigration to bring in skilled employees.“This is a new option,” he says.

“We’ve worked with warehouses, manufacturing, production, retail, customer services, administration and management, and a lot of trades,” he says.“A lot of [businesses] rely on us for day-to-day workers, calling us multiple times a day.”

One of ISCS’s mandates is to help streamline the process for companies by handling not only the paperwork involved in bringing someone from out-of-country,but also ensuring that person is truly qualified for the position.

Just down the street, Airdrie Employment Services, a division of Prospect Human Services, provides employers with a venue for advertising job positions – the job board is

“And once the individual gets here, we make sure they’re set u p with a so cial insurance number, health care … housing … and they become familiar with their town,” French

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Ziegler says employers are looking for positive attitude, which is o ften more important than skills, which can be taught.“A good guy with a good work ethic … will go a long way,” he says, adding a strong work ethic carries a lot of value in a place like Airdrie. “I grew up in a s mall town, and you get to know the work ethic … and Airdrie still has it. It’s hard to make a mistake in a good city like Airdrie. In Calgary, you can make a mistake and move seven miles out of the road and no one knows who you are.” Zimmer says a key to addressing the labour shortage in Airdrie is to make it attractive for people to work in Airdrie, rather than commuting to Calgary. Airdrie Employment Services offers a Youth Connections program for people ages 16-24, and also has a w orkplace retraining program. “If an employer is looking at training an individual on-site, they can have the w ages of that employee subsidized given certain requirements are met,” Zimmer says. Airdrie Chamber of Commerce president Tim Bolton foresees continued labour-shortage challenges in Airdrie, especially with the proposed Balzac development expected to draw thousands of workers. “Where will these people come from? They’ll come from Calgary and they’ll come from Airdrie and beyond,” he says. “Our businesses are stressed to the limit. Just look at the local paper and everyone is looking for staff. That’s a huge challenge to overcome.” For more information about Airdrie Employment Services, call 948-9711, visit www.airdrieemployment.com, or drop by 10400 Main St. N. ISCS can be reached at 9804727, on the web at iscscanada.com, or at 126 Main St. N.

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AIRDRIE WORKS

Purveyors of the Unique By Alex Frazer-Harrison

PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

Airdrie is ho me to man y unique businesses. Treasure Cove Comics & Collectables has been a mainstay of this city’s business community since 1989, while “Where On Earth… did you get that?” recently grew out of its former Main Street location and is n ow the ci ty’s first antique mall. Together, they have made Airdrie a do n’t-miss destination for collectors and antique hunters from across Canada, as purveyors of the unique.

It’s a big leap from torts and briefs to comics and G.I. Joes, but John Quong made the jump 18 years ago an d hasn’t looked back since.

John Quong makes collectors’ dreams come true.

Rogers. He says Airdrie’s small-town atmosphere appealed to him from the start.

such as chains dating back to the da ys of slavery.

When he opened Treasure Cove, he initially specialized in comics and trading cards, but eventually added to ys, western collectables, and military memorabilia.

Today, antique cowboy chaps sit side-by-side with a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine, Big Jim playsets from the 1970s, and classic pulp paperbacks.

“I was a cri minal paralegal, and after I go t married I decided I needed a break from that career because I’d been going hard and heavy at it,” he says.“And I’ve been here ever since!”

“I liked decorating my house with saddles and chaps and never realized all tha t stuff was desirable,” Quong says.“I decided to bring this stuff into the store … and in the process, I met fellow collectors who had the sam e passion that I do.

Quong often hits the collectors’ show circuit, looking for unique i tems to b ring into his store and rubbing elbows with fellow collectors like Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.

Hailing from Leader, Sask., where his family owned “the typical small-town restaurant,” Quong grew up with comic books and classic western heroes like John Wayne and Roy

“I’ve had so me very unique i tems come through here,” he says. Quong’s seen e verything from rare military uniforms to historical artifacts you’d never expect to see i n Airdrie,

Quong originally intended his shop, Treasure Cove Comics & C ollectables, to provide a temporary break from his chosen career in 1989.

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“You learn these guys are just like everybody else – a lot of them are collectors and they just want to check out your stuff,” he says. Quong says he r emembers the da ys before Airdrie’s boom -- “When I first started, there

was just one big gopher field around here,” he says – and he hopes to keep alive some of the small-town atmosphere that attracted him in the 80s. “As we get bigger, more people are moving in the hustle-and-bustle lifestyle and don’t have the time anymore to get to know you,” he says. “I want to get back to where I know your kid and you know my kid and e veryone goes to school together. “There are people in Airdrie who discovered me as kids … and they’re now bringing their children in and saying, this is w here I h ung out!” Quong says he often attracts customers from Calgary and he’s “on the map” for collectors looking for specific items. He says the love of the hunt is what keeps his job interesting. “I still have the p assion of the find,” Quong says.“When I get to the [c ollectors’] shows, I get an extra beat in my heart – that adrenalin rush of finding stuff that makes me go,‘Wow, that’s neat!’” A former department store site in the heart of Airdrie is n ow home to the ci ty’s first-ever antiques mall. Gaylene Drader opened the “Where On Earth … did y ou get that?” Antique Mall in the former Canadian Tire location last June, after running a s maller antiques shop on Main Street. Before that, she was based i n Calgary. “I was a s tay-at-home mom and raised four kids,” she recalls.“When my youngest daughter was in Grade 4, I opened a little gift store in Inglewood. In 1997, I slowly started to

bring in a few [antique] pieces here and there … within six months, it was an an tiques shop.” Drader later relocated the s hop to Airdrie. But as her business found new clientele here, Drader wanted to expand. “I saw the for lease sign on the old Canadian Tire,” she says.“I liked the antiques mall concept, and I remember wandering around the cramped old Canadian Tire store – it was in dire need of a facelift. You don’t recognize it now.” Drader also had to c onvince the C ity of Airdrie that an antiques mall would work in a part of town deemed more suitable for hotels and highway commercial development.

the people that deal with the Visa and Interac machines actually stopped things for a b it because suddenly they were getting all these cards from all over. We had to prove to them that we’re legitimate!” Drader says she feels her shop has been good for the city, and for other businesses in the area.“We’ve taken an old, run-down building and made it new again,” she says. One of the appeals of the mall is how its stock always changes, Drader says. One day you might find a c entury-old Mission stacking bookcase, the next it could be a bible from the 18th Century. And Where On Earth… remains a famil y business, Drader says.

Where On Earth… is n ow home to 60 antiques dealers, some working on consignment and some renting their space; the owner takes a commission.

“My daughter is the manager and a couple of my boys are out buying furniture and having fun … it’s something in common they can do with each other.”

“We give these people an opportunity to start their little business without all the o verhead stuff like staff, utilities, taxes … we take care of that,” Drader says.

Editor’s Note: T reasure Cove Comics & Collectables is located at 8-805 East Lake Blvd. N.E. “Where On Ear th…did you get that?” Antique Mall is located at 325 Edmonton Tr.

“This has been a great learning experience. I might look at something and say, who’d pay $300 for that thing? Sure enough, a week later it’s at the counter being sold.” Drader’s prediction that her mall w ould attract customers off the QE II ha ve proven correct. “I’d say 75 p er cent of the people coming in here I’ve never seen before,” she says; she estimates between 2,000-3,000 c ustomers visited the mall during its first month in business. “We see license plates from Arizona, California, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, B.C. …

Gaylene Drader knows…where it’s at.

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AIRDRIE WORKS In celebration of Small Business W eek 2007, the Airdrie Business Resource Centre honors exceptional businesses in Airdrie through the Winning Edge Awards. This annual awards program provides important recognition to the companies and organizations that demonstrate outstanding business practices and make valuable contributions to Airdrie. • Family Friendly Business A ward Recognizing companies that suppor t family friendly practices, for employees and/or customers. Sponsored by the Airdrie National Family Week Steering Committee. • Eco Edge Award - Awarded to a business promoting, taking part and providing leadership in the environmental arena. Presented by the City of Airdrie Environmental Ser vices Board. • Winning Edge A ward – Celebrating a small business (50 employees or less) that demonstrates superior customer ser vice and is an active corporate citizen. Sponsored by the Airdrie Business Resource Centre.

2006 winners: • Airdrie Canvas Inc. - Family Friendly Business Award • Logical Creations - Eco Edge Award • In Hot Water Spas - Winning Edge Award

This years awards are presented at the Winning Edge Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 18 at the W oodside Golf Course. The Winning Edge Awards and Banquet are organized by the Airdrie Business Resource Centre and its partners. This includes the City of Airdrie, Airdrie Public Librar y, Community Futures Centre W est, Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, Alberta Employment Immigration and Industry, Alberta Agriculture, Bow Valley College and the National Family W eek Steering Committee.

Career Transitions

Training available in Airdrie Many people looking for work don’t even realize the full c omplement of their skills. That’s where the staff at Bow Valley College’s Airdrie Campus can help. The Career Transitions Certificate is a fully funded program designed to help learners get the skills they need to gain meaningful employment. It offers courses on computer skills, academic upgrading, life management, employment preparation, career planning, WHMIS, and first aid. “A lot of what we do is i mproving our s tudents’ self-esteem,” says Muriel Bostick, Employment Instructor.“They come to us wanting to better their lives but they lack confidence in their skills. They are unsure they can adapt to the workplace. “I see it a lot during the personality and skills assessment.They will laugh and say ‘what skills’ but then they realize ‘I’m a mother, I can organize’ or they’ve done some volunteer work. Through the self-discovery process of the Career Transitions program, the students begin to recognize their abilities, which builds their confidence.” A potential student could be a stay-at-home parent who wants to return to the workforce, or someone who works in the retail or hospitality industry but wants a more stable, better-paying job with regular hours. Funded by Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry, the Career Transitions Certificate has a continuous intake, meaning students register every month of the year. Working at their own pace, students often manage to complete their studies and find work in four to six months. The program also includes a four-week work experience, during which students can grow accustomed to the office environment. “They get an idea of whether they like a certain field, plus they get a current reference for their résumé,” says Holly Albersworth, Accounting and Computer Applications Instructor.“Most of our students want to get into office administration or other fulfilling career choices. Our environment will help students to become comfortable with employer expectations.” And those employers are calling the BVC campus in Airdrie, seeking graduates to fill the vacancies in their offices. “Many employers are calling here looking for people to h ire out of this program,” Muriel points out.“These are good jobs too.”

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AIRDRIE WORKS

Immersed in Art By Stacey Carefoot

Jane Romanishko doesn’t believe she was a prodigy like many artists were; in fact she didn’t become interested in art until she was 11 years old when she accompanied a friend to an after school activity.“It was something to do, she asked me to come along and I said o kay,” says Romanishko. Being born in Russia and growing up in a small Siberian city her p assion for her roots is extremely strong,“it’s nothing like people think it is, it’s very cultural,” she says with a hint of sadness for her home country.“However,” she continues “this is my home now and I b elieve that I was sent here to make Airdrie beautiful,” and she has had a great start.

Jane Romanisko with one of her favorite paintings. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

After coming to Airdrie in 1996, it wasn’t long before Romanishko made her ma rk on the city, literally. Romanishko has painted the la rge murals that can be seen on the outside of Paros On Main restaurant, or Aura Spa and Wellness Centre, as well as n umerous other buildings both inside and out.“It’s been my dream to get my hands on the water tower, to make it beautiful,” she says, with a smile but not jokingly as she refers to the idea of painting a mural on Airdrie’s landmark water tower. Romanishko studied painting, drawing and art history at Siberia’s College of Art Education and

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Would you like art with your coffee? There’s nothing subtle about the smell or taste of good coffee. Its aroma has the ability to smooth even the biggest wrinkle in your day and its flavour can turn a bad mood good in the blink of an eye. There is, however , some subtlety to Benjamin’s Coffeehouse, located on Airdrie’s Main Street. If you sit there long enough and let your mind wander you will soon notice how the shop pays quiet homage to its Alber ta home. From the deep blue ceiling meant to reflect Alber ta’s blue sky to the wheat depicted near the front door, the atmosphere at Benjamin’ s Coffeehouse ties faintly to the area’ s roots and people. Strengthening this tie is the ever changing art that hangs on the barn red and prairie gold walls of the cof feehouse.

also holds a M aster’s Degree in Architecture. Although an ac complished architectural artist, she focuses the majority of her professional attention on exploring her passion for realistic art. She shares this deep passion with others through The Airdrie School of Art which she founded in 2000. Romanishko introduces students to the bas ics of realistic drawing and painting through what she calls a “friendly, non-competitive atmosphere.” All students taking lessons at the art school must first complete an a rt introduction where they le arn the abc’s of realistic art. “I’m teaching them rule s, this is very important to me,” says Romanishko. Although it may sound intimidating, the art theory gives her students a solid foundation and allows them to b ecome familiar with the basics. “Students will find that our instructors take great care in balancing structured guidance with the opportunity for individuals to experience successful independent creativity,” says Romanishko. Romanishko has r ecently expanded her vi sion to include The Gallery, a quaint spot located at the back of The Scrapbook Station on Airdrie’s First Avenue. The Gallery provides an outlet for local artists to display their work in a professional setting. Local work can be seen an d purchased during gallery hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Original and reproduction prints, paintings, photographs and other frameable pieces created by local ar tists have been gracing the walls of Benjamin’s for close to two years. A joint ef fort between Benjamin Locking, owner of the coffeehouse and Jane Romanishko of The Gallery has enabled local artists to show and sell their wares to the public while adding an attention-grabbing component to the atmosphere of the cof feehouse. “It’s about conversation and exposure. Not ever yone likes ever y piece that’s on the wall but they all appreciate the ef fort and talent,” says Locking who has seen perfect strangers spark up a conversation about ar t while drinking a coffee. An art opening is held in the evening at the cof feehouse each time a new artist is being featured; an event that Locking has come to look for ward to, “It’s about bringing people in Airdrie together . I can relax in my own coffeehouse, and it’s a ver y enjoyable evening for ever yone who attends.” While this year’s line up of ar tists has yet to be announced Locking looks forward to continuing to provide wall space for local ar tists, proving that his coffeehouse has more to of fer than a great cup of joe.

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AIRDRIE WORKS

Airdrie Ink By Stacey Carefoot

serves as the first face potential customers see when they enter the shop. Chaffey, White’s daughter, has grown up in the tattoo world and provides clients with the i nformation they n eed before speaking to an artist. On working in the industry and with her father, Chaffey explains with a huge smile on her face,“it’s awesome, I couldn’t be happier”.

Dan White and daughter Angie Chaf fey invite Airdrie into their ultra modern shop. PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

Think of the words “tattoo parlor” and what vision pops into your head? Dingy basements and smoke filled rooms, rough and tough tattoo artists needling their way through the skin of equally rough and tough clients? You’re not alone. True, the reputation of the art of tattooing over the years has been tarnished by bad movies and a few bad characters but when perspective tattoo clients walk into New Tradition Tattoo and Piercing located on Airdrie’s east side, they’re likely to b e blown away, in a good way.

From the bright, ultra-clean reception area to the i ndividual tattoo suites complete with flat screen televisions, this is a tattoo studio for the 21st century. “We want people to b e shocked when they walk in the door,” says owner Dan White. With cleanliness and sterilization ranking tops on his professional priority list, White’s first stop when conducting a tour o f his shop is the h igh tech sterilization area that undoubtedly helps to reassure prospective clients.“The shop uses sterilized, prepackaged, single use needles and every client is educated on the techniques and after care of their tattoo,” says White, a card carrying member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists. Since opening the shop just shy of a year ago business has grown as the appointment book continues to fill up. White, along with two apprentice tattoo artists, does the tattooing while receptionist Angie Chaffey

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White himself specializes in what he calls“old school”, tattoos although the hundreds of samples that cover the walls of his own tattoo suite prove he is extr emely versatile. From traditional coy fish to i ntricate tribal art White’s work has a dis tinct flare. His two apprentices also have their own style while all three of the artists strive to work as closely with their clients as possible to give them precisely what they’re looking for.“Clients want tattoos for many different reasons”, he says “and we work hard to respect their tastes and requests.” White, who is also a l icensed mechanic and millwright became interested in the art of tattooing at the young age of 15 which is around the time he received his first tattoo. By the age of 18 he had purchased his own equipment and was tattooing friends and family at the k itchen table. “The industry was a b it sketchy back then,” says White who makes it a policy not to tattoo anyone under the age of 18, regardless of parental consent. He also refuses to tattoo certain areas of the body including the face and hands,“I know tattooing in certain areas is a mistake,” says White,“they just don’t know it yet.” White and his family have been Airdrie residents for 8 years, after leaving New Glasgow, Nova Scotia for a b etter future. “We’ve paid our dues,” says White when explaining how, when he and his young family first arrived in Alberta over ten years ago, they lived in a basement suite, worked long hard hours and made many sacrifices before he was in the position to open his own shop.“Our ultimate goal was to be in business for ourselves. We’re hard workers, we show up early and leave late,” he continues explaining his family’s fierce work ethic. White doesn’t known for sure that he’s found the secret to a successful business, however, he has a strong belief on how customers should be treated.“If you do a good job and respect your customers, how can you go wrong?”

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AIRDRIE COMMUNITY

AirdrieLIFE is mine “The creation of art is not the fulfillment of a need but the creation of a need. The world never needed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony until he created it. Now we could not live without it.” Louis I Kahn

I read somewhere that “a world without art is a world without culture, without heart, without passion, without creativity.” How true. Thank goodness we live in a world where artistic pursuits are encouraged, cultivated and shared. And to see people succeed at their art as a business is ex citing as y ou will read in AirdrieWORKS.

Welcome to our first annual arts issue. It felt like auditions, dress rehearsals and opening night all rolled into one when we were preparing this issue for you. Now as we take the show on the road and into your home or office we can sit back and applaud the bounty of talent that Airdrie has produced.

When we set out to do an “arts and culture” feature we were unsure how much room we would need, but we can honestly say we could have done another hundred pages and still not have introduced you to the cas t of thousands out there. We are a very talented community of singers, dancers, artists, musicians and more. Bravo!

We are pleased to introduce you to so man y talented Airdronians. Airdrie has a vib rant arts scene from stage struck tapping preschoolers to accomplished world traveling performers. And the a rts scene is a growing business too. From sell out performances at The Bert Church Live Theatre to “Meet the Artist” showings on Main Street, the Airdrie community has placed a high value on arts and culture.

So please sit back in your chair and enjoy the s how, AirdrieLIFE is about to begin…

Sherry Shaw-Froggatt

About the covers: LIFE: Musical theatre students from the Airdrie Dance Academy perform their award winning number “Nicest Kids in T

own” (from the

Broadway musical Hairspray) on The Ber t Church Live Theatre stage. Photography by gtfotofx.com WORKS: Benjamin Locking, owner of Benjamin’ s Coffeehouse serves up a blend of commmunity spirit and business savvy as a suppor ter of the Airdrie arts scene. Photography by Kristy Reimer.

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